I know that most Arsenal fans will think I’m joking when I continually say that Jack Wilshere will not play at all this season, but every time Arsene Wenger talks about him it is only to tell us of the Englishman’s latest setback. Just over a month ago Arsene told us that Jack had started running again, but that was obviously patently untrue. Wenger completely contradicted that yesterday. “Jack is doing quite well but has still not been outside yet, running,” Wenger said. “He starts again, I think, this week. He will be three to four weeks [more] out.”
Yeah Yeah Yeah…..
So let’s just write that one down to experience I think, but a real bit of bad news for the club is that Santi Cazorla is also not close to recovery yet. The little Spaniard told us last week that he was hoping to be back for the second leg against Barcelona, but I’m afraid that is now out of the question. “Santi is not doing too well,” Wenger confirmed. “He has some achilles problems that hold him back.
“His knee is doing well but his achilles has inflamed a little bit and we have to put him off impact [training]. It has been a reaction to coming back. A return in April? We have to see now how he responds. He always had a little tendonitis in his achilles and we have to see how he responds to that.”
This is a real blow to our title hopes as his presence in the starting XI seems to make us twice as effective than when he is absent. Oh Santi, the Gods have not been favourable to us.
Lastly Wenger has given his first estimate on the return of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, which I am pretty sure can be taken with a pinch of salt. “He will be out for six to eight weeks. No surgery. We feared surgery at some stage before we saw the MRI. In the end we got, on that front, positive news.”
That’s positive is it? And when asked if this may affect his participation with England in the summer, he replied: “The next eight weeks means March and April. He should be OK for the Euros.”
So in summary… Jack – another four weeks. Santi – Maybe in April. The Ox – Six to eight weeks. I won’t be holding my breath…