Wilshere needed a break! Wenger slams Hodgson over England recall just three games into fragile star's comeback

Arsene Wenger believes Roy Hodgson is taking an unnecessary risk with Jack Wilshere by selecting the young Arsenal midfielder for what he considers to be a meaningless international fixture designed only to make money.

Wilshere has played in only three games since missing 17 months with a stress fracture injury but has still been included in Hodgson’s England squad to face Sweden next Wednesday, as Sportsmail revealed.

On the comeback trail: Jack Wilshere (right) in action for Arsenal on Tuesday

 

His club manager insisted he has reached a ‘good compromise’ with Hodgson — which is expected to mean Wilshere is only used for a maximum of 45 minutes — but maintained the recall has come too early for the 20-year-old.

Wenger said: ‘I wouldn’t like to come out on my feelings on this because they are not very positive. I think it is early for him. He has played three games now and only one full game. He has been out for 17 months. I think he needs 10 days of good recovery. Let’s touch wood and hope he gets through well.

'The ideal solution would be yes [he wouldn’t be involved]. It is as it is. He has played three games now, and of the three games only one [has been a] full game. 

'He has been out for 17 months. It’s good to have a little break after three games.

'What we like of him is he won’t play over the weekend so will recover. I think he needs 10 days of good recovery.

Wenger revealed he was expecting the call-up because the midfielder is banned for Saturday’s match against Fulham, after his red card against Manchester United.

He added: ‘I saw it coming because of the suspension and the fact that England are looking for some midfielders. What helps is that he is not playing over the weekend because he is  suspended, of course. Roy wants him in the group.’

Young Lion: Wilshere has not appeared in an England shirt since facing Switzerland in June 2011

Wilshere has admitted this week that he fears he might never be as good a player as he was before his long injury lay-off.

But Wenger insists that, slowly but surely, Wilshere will get better and better as his comeback intensifies.

'Jack is generous on the football pitch - he gives 100 per cent. I feel physically, he is quite there - slowly he gets stronger in every game. That means his basic fitness is good,' he said.

'Sometimes, you need, when you accumulate games, to have a little rest again and to build on that and to recover and then go even harder. For us, what is important to know, is to stop him before he gets to that point.'

Wenger is also unhappy Spain midfielder Santi Cazorla will play a friendly match in Panama on Wednesday night.

He said: ‘These friendlies in November — you don’t know how they can prepare you for a game in February.

‘There are a lot of politics behind these games because when you see some teams travelling during that period, you think it is more to pay back some corporation rather than preparing a team for the next official game. I believe the friendly games are there as well to help some  federations raise money  playing against big teams.’