Jack Wilshere featured for Arsenal’s Under-21 side tonight against West Bromwich Albion, and gave his coaches a fright before being allowed to see the match out.
The England international was making his third appearance since recovering from a leg injury which has prevented him from playing a second of Premier League football this season.
Wilshere is believed to be closing on a return to the first-team and today’s match was expected to be his last for the Under-21 side before being recalled to the senior playing squad for the weekend.
That hope looked to have disappeared in the first-half of tonight’s match however, as the 24 year-old fell awkwardly on his right-leg, and the watching crowd could only hold their breath as Wilshere stayed down for some time clutching his lower leg.
The midfielder did recover to feature in the second half however, and capped the performance off with a neatly taken goal, controlling the ball in the box before tucking the ball over the keeper and into the net.
The goal failed to stop his side from losing on the night, but Wilshere will surely be happy just to have made it through the game.
We are going to have many a moment like this one I fear, with the North-London lad seemingly unlucky when it comes to remaining fit and injury-free. Jack will have five possible league outings to get through before the end of the season, and is said to need to prove his fitness to Roy Hodgson to cement his place on the plane.
Eric Dier, Jordan Henderson and Danny Drinkwater are all vying for the same position, and you could argue that each of them deserve a place in the squad, but Hodgson seemingly favours what our lad can offer.
Will Jack make it on the plane? Will he even make it to the end of the season unscathed?