England fret over Wilshere as scan reveals fracture
ARSENAL midfielder Jack Wilshere faces a race to be fit for the World Cup after breaking a bone in his foot during England’s friendly with Denmark on Wednesday, his club confirmed yesterday.
Wilshere suffered the injury 12 minutes into the 1-0 win at Wembley following a strong tackle from Liverpool defender Daniel Agger, though after treatment continued to play until he was replaced by Southampton’s Adam Lallana in the 59th minute.
The 22-year-old, who was forced to miss Euro 2012 with an ankle injury, believed he had suffered no ill effects from the challenge, as did manager Roy Hodgson.
But Arsenal confirmed yesterday Wilshere would not return to training for at least six weeks, a timescale that leaves him scant time to regain match fitness before Hodgson names his provisional 30-man World Cup squad on 13 May.
“Jack Wilshere has sustained a hairline fracture to the navicular bone in his left foot,” said an Arsenal statement.
“Following initial scans carried out by the Football Association on Wednesday night, further investigation by Arsenal’s medical team has discovered a crack to a small bone in Jack’s left foot – the navicular, an area of his foot which has not been previously injured.
“Jack will now require a period of approximately six weeks’ rehabilitation, before starting to regain his match fitness.”
Wilshere has played 41 times for club and country this season scoring five goals, but will miss a crucial run of fixtures for the Gunners this month, beginning with tomorrow’s FA Cup quarter-final at home to Everton.
Arsene Wenger’s team then travel to holders Bayern Munich on Tuesday in the hope of overturning a 2-0 first-leg deficit to progress in the Champions League, before bidding to get their Premier League title charge back on track with back-to-back London derbies against Tottenham and Chelsea.