Jack Wilshere is moving closer to a competitive appearance for England as he gets ready to turn out for Arsenal’s u21s.

The midfielder, who has been out all season after picking up a broken leg in training, has been the subject of a lot of speculation lately, not least because of Roy Hodgson’s insistence that he will bring him to France even if he hasn’t played for Arsenal.

It’s almost as if his club doesn’t really matter.

Anyway, according to the Daily Mail, Wilshere is likely to turn out for the u21s next Friday when they face Newcastle in the u21 Premier League.

Upping his workload in training, Jack’s leg has held up well (well, it’s held up, which is about all we can ask for at this point).

There had been talk that he might need to have the plate, that was inserted in September, removed because it has been causing him some discomfort. But that pain is described as ‘manageable’ and Arsenal are hopeful that he will not have to undergo yet another operation.

Should he come through the game for the u21s, he will be on course to make an appearance for the seniors before the end of the season.