THESE are the pictures Arsenal and England fans have waited 14 months to see — Jack Wilshere back in training.
The 20-year-old has not played since July 2011 having been plagued by ankle and knee problems.
But the England midfielder is now back kicking a ball with his Arsenal chums ahead of their clash with champions Manchester City on Sunday.
Despite the progress, boss Arsene Wenger will take a conservative approach regarding a first-team return.
The Frenchman said: “We are so pleased that Jack is back in full training. It’s been 14 months and that’s a long time for someone at his age. It’s an eternity, but it’s great news.
“We have to give him a few training sessions to see how he copes and responds to it.
“That’s the delicate, sensitive stage — to choose when to bring him in and out. We’ll have to handle that day-by-day. ”
The Arsenal star is set for his first match, an Under-21 game against Reading on October 8.
But he is unlikely to be given his Premier League return until the end of next month at the earliest.
Wilshere was joined by Emmanuel Frimpong, who has been out since February following a cruciate ligament injury suffered while on loan at Wolves.
Wenger added: “We also have Frimpong who has returned to full training this week, which is great news as well.
“Emmanuel has also been out a long time but is progressing well.”
The Sun
