Former Arsenal player, Charlie Nicolas, has leaped to Jack Wilshere’s defence following the midfielder’s red card during the u23 match against Manchester City on Monday night.

Nicolas believes that Wilshere was well within his rights to react angrily following Matthew Smith’s terrible challenge during the Premier League 2 match on Monday night.

Given the 25-year-old’s history with injuries and the fact that he’s only just returned to fitness, Wilshere is clearly touchy about opposition players going in for dangerous tackles – as he should be.

“When I first saw the tackle I thought the No 8 [Smith] was out of order going in there to potentially harm him,” Nicholas said, reports Sky Sports. “I don’t know whether there was any build up but he ends up getting away with it.

“The pace that that lad comes in is as if he’s going in with a method to harm him, suggesting ‘I’ll show you’ and he should be the one who is isolated here.

“The big problem is, we all know how many injuries Wilshere has had and when you’re making a fourth comeback from major injuries, you need to feel your way in.

“I’m not saying other teams need to go easy on him or that he’s right, but I can totally understand his reaction.

“Even the lad who tried to harm him went down like he’d been shot. Of course, it makes Jack look foolish but he’s an international footballer, he should be an Arsenal regular, but this is where he is, fighting for his fitness, trying everything he can and this lad has gone in with the intention to harm him.

“The headline story is Jack Wilshere and the good thing is he got up, but it is sad because he’d been playing well and set up a goal.”

While Tyreke Wilson was also red carded for getting involved after Wilshere pushed 17-year-old Smith to the floor, Wilshere is the senior player and it could be argued that perhaps he should have kept his head.

However, knowing the England international’s history – and ankles – it’s hard to imagine anyone else in his situation acting any differently.

After the match, which ended 4-3 to Arsenal’s u23s, Wilshere said that he’d got his passion back and was buzzing after the game.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BYEtU24FPv6/?hl=en&taken-by=jackwilshere

Wilshere, who was sent out on loan at Bournemouth last season, has been linked with a move away from Arsenal this summer since he has under a year left on his current deal.

It remains to be seen whether he’s actually going anywhere but it’ll be interesting to see whether he’ll be included in the first team squad now that he’s banned from appearing for the reserves for three games.