Mikel Arteta has backed Jack Wilshere to overcome his latest injury setback as he knows the midfielder has the ‘character and enthusiasm to get back’.
Arsenal confirmed that Jack’s bad luck continued with his most recent injury – a leg break picked up in training, believed to have been inflicted by Gabriel – refusing to heal properly meaning that he had to undergo surgery yet again.
Speaking to the media ahead of Arsenal’s Champions League opener against Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia, Arteta said “Jack unfortunately has had a lot of setbacks and a lot of difficult moments through his career but he’s shown a lot of character and enthusiasm to get back.
“I’m sure it’s a very disappointing time but he needs to use this time to prove that he can get back. He has an enormous talent, he has support from every department at the club, from the players because we feel sorry for him and we know that we cannot waste his talent.
“He’s got an amazing career in front of him and I think we are responsible for putting that into his head every day and not allow him to fall down. At some stage, I think that’s where the danger is – that he doesn’t believe himself or his body. He needs to trust himself.”
This injury is the 22nd of Jack’s short career according to physioroom, with ankle problems dominating the list of issues he has suffered since 2009.
Calf/Shin Injury | 2015 August 1st |
Ankle/Foot Injury | 2015 February 24th |
Ankle/Foot Injury | 2014 November 22nd |
Illness | 2014 November 3rd |
Knee Injury | 2014 October 26th |
Knee Injury | 2014 October 18th |
Ankle/Foot Injury | 2014 September 16th |
Ankle/Foot Injury | 2014 March 5th |
Hamstring Injury | 2014 February 22nd |
Ankle/Foot Injury | 2014 January 24th |
Ankle/Foot Injury | 2013 December 29th |
Calf/Shin Injury | 2013 November 15th |
Ankle/Foot Injury | 2013 October 31st |
Ankle/Foot Injury | 2013 October 22nd |
Ankle/Foot Injury | 2013 September 28th |
Illness | 2013 September 1st |
Ankle/Foot Injury | 2013 August 27th |
Illness | 2013 July 12th |
Ankle/Foot Injury | 2013 May 20th |
Ankle/Foot Injury | 2013 March 3rd |
Hip/Thigh Injury | 2013 February 9th |
Ankle/Foot Injury | 2011 August 1st |
Back Injury | 2010 November 14th |
Hamstring Injury | 2010 January 8th |
Ankle/Foot Injury | 2009 October 24th |
While some of these problems are likely recurrences of the same injury, there is no denying that Jack has picked up more than a career’s worth of problems before his career has really got going.
It is easy (but stupid) to blame the player, however, many of his injuries have come after incredibly poor tackles and that should be noted and remembered.
We’ve also been told that this latest setback will keep him out until February next year at least, but this is not what the club are saying.