Wilshere not expected to be back until March

Jack Wilshere is not expected to be fit until mid-
March, as his recovery from the fractured fibula
that has wrecked his season continues to grind on
at slow speed, 360 Metro Sports understands

Arsène Wenger, the Arsenal manager, had
previously hoped to welcome back the midfielder
towards the end of February but he reported on
Friday that Wilshere has only just begun to run
outside and will need another six weeks before he
is in shape to play.

There is not yet any panic about Wilshere’s
prospects of making the European Championship
in June but Roy Hodgson , the England manager,
would ideally like the players he takes to France for
the finals to be fit by the end of March, when his
team play friendlies against Germany and Holland.

“Jack is starting to run,” Wenger said. “Once you
move out, from the first day, you count six weeks
to be competitive and build up stamina and
intensity. You need six weeks to be ready fitness-
wise.”

Wilshere suffered the injury in training on the eve
of the Community Shield and he has not featured
all season. He underwent surgery in mid-
September because of a slow healing response and
it was hoped, at the time, that he would be back by
Christmas. Worryingly, the estimates have
repeatedly been put back.