Wenger reveals Wilshere hope and chats goalkeeper conundrum
Jack Wilshere: Could return on Thursday, all being well
Arsene Wenger remains unsure when Jack Wilshere will be fit to return to the Arsenal first team – but hopes he could be in contention for Thursday’s clash with West Brom.
The England midfielder has yet to kick a ball for Arsenal’s first-team this season as his hopes of making England’s squad for Euro 2016 fade by the day.
But with Wilshere coming through another game with the club’s under-21s against Swansea on Thursday night with no problems, he is now scheduled to play for them again on Monday.
Speaking about the player, Wenger told a media conference on Friday: ” I don’t know [when he will return to the first-team].
“He will play again on Monday and then we have to see how he is compared to other players.
“If he is ready [for Thursday] then we will consider him.”
Wenger on Palace clash
The immediate priority for Wenger, however, is another London derby – this time against Crystal Palace at the Emirates on Sunday.
Speaking about the match, Wenger added: “It is a London derby and now they are completely safe, they can play with freedom.
“They are a good team with a lot of offensive potential.
“They have strong individuals like [Wilfried] Zaha, [Yannick] Bolasie, [Connor] Wickham and [Emmanuel] Adebayor.
“We need to rectify the fact we conceded three at West Ham.”
Asked how Arsenal would solve those defensive issues, Wenger replied: “We’ve practiced our heading!”
Wenger, who will name an unchanged squad for the match against the Eagles, must decide whether to hand Petr Cech a recall at the expense of David Ospina.
“I have not decided on the team,” he said.
“Petr is our No.1 but Ospina is a fantastic goalkeeper. His numbers are exceptional in the Premier League and I felt Cech was just coming back.
