Arsene Wenger says Jack Wilshere’s chances of being awarded a new Arsenal deal will depend on whether he can stay fit.
Wilshere completed 90 minutes for the first time in more than three years in Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Doncaster in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night and impressed in his first appearance of the season.
The 25-year-old’s current deal is due to expire at the end of the season and he now faces a race against time to prove he deserves a new long-term Arsenal deal.
“It is down to the fact – and I have said this many times – that he can remain fit or not,” The London Evening Standard quote Wenger as saying of Wilshere’s future.
“He’s an Arsenal man and an Arsenal player. He would certainly like to stay but we haven’t spoken about that because at the start of the season I thought we had to see how it evolves and see what kind of influence he can have in the squad through the whole season.”
Wilshere spent last season on loan at Bournemouth where he appeared to put his injury concerns behind him before breaking his leg in April.
Since the start of last season, only Jason Puncheon (13) has had more shots on target without scoring a single goal in the Premier League than Wilshere (10).
