Arsenal boosted by Jack Wilshere's return to training as Danny Welbeck gives Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain a lift

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Arsenal were boosted with the return of Jack Wilshere and appeared to be in good spirits in training ahead of their game against Aston Villa on Saturday. 

Wilshere suffered an ankle injury in the Gunners' 2-0 defeat by Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday but the midfielder was back with the rest of his team-mates ahead of the game at Villa Park.

Transfer deadline day signing Danny Welbeck was seen messing around with fellow England star Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, with the midfielder seen climbing on the former Manchester United striker's back.

Jack Wilshere (left) joined team mates Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (centre) and Santi Cazorla (right) for some sprints

New boy Danny Welbeck appears to be a hit with his team mates as he joked around with fellow England international Oxlade-Chamberlain 

Wilshere returned to Arsenal training after suffering an ankle injury against Borussia Dortmund in their midweek Champions League game

Spanish midfielder Mikel Arteta also looked cheerful as he stretched out his leg muscles in training ahead of the game against Aston Villa on Saturday 

Oxlade-Chamberlain (left), Welbeck (centre) and Per Mertesacker (right) look fully focused on the ball as they jostle for position in training 

The muscular Oxlade-Chamberlain concentrates on his delivery in the Gunners' session on a carpet-like training pitch

German midfielder Mesut Ozil holds his hands out whilst training, having been highly criticised for his performances in the Arsenal red 

Prior to the training session, Arsene Wenger hit back at the critics of Mesut Ozil in his press conference, after the German failed to impress yet again during Arsenal's defeat in Dortmund on Tuesday night.

'Why should he be a scapegoat? For what? We've lost one game since April 1,' said Wenger.

'Let's be realistic. We've come out of a very difficult preparation period with decisive games. We had very difficult games against Besiktas. I don't know a scapegoat for what?

'What is difficult to manage today is that everybody knows absolutely everything and everybody judges people definitely on one game. You have to accept that football is played by human beings who have ups and downs like you have in your life.'

There has been the suggestion that Ozil's poor form is due to his manager playing him on the right, out of his most effective position.The Frenchman saw this as a side issue, however.

'That's a secondary debate in my opinion because he has freedom to play when we have the ball and go where he wants,' he added. If you look at the heat map where he plays, you will be amazed where he is all over the pitch.'

Arsenal's player of last season Aaron Ramsey (right) looks to challenge Spanish playmaker Cazorla (left)

Tomas Rosicky holds his balance as he looks to drive forward with the ball in Arsenal's training session 

Germany forward Lukas Podolski looks up for options as he tests his leg power in Arsenal's training session

Podolski (left), in a much more relaxed pose, with his hand on hip and foot rested on the ball, also looked in high spirits during the session 

Summer signing Alexis Sanchez (left) holds a low sense of gravity as he is challenged in training ahead of the Gunners' game against Paul Lambert's Villa on Saturday

Wenger also addressed the FA's proposal to cut the number of players from outside the EU. He believes that this should be carefully considered to avoid compromising the quality of the English game.

FA chairman Greg Dyke's England Commission has outlined a series of recommendations to reduce the number of overseas players by up to 50 per cent, including banning clubs sending such players out on loan, preventing Football League clubs from signing them and making the appeals process much tougher. 

'I read what he (Greg Dyke) said and honestly I am for the competition worldwide, but he has a point that it is difficult to get non-EU players in the youth system and then to loan them out. That's where he has a point,' said Wenger.

'You want the best players in the world to be here, but if you go for them you cannot take them and loan them out somewhere else. Maybe he has a point there.

'Do they take room in the education of the young English players? I don't think so. It is a deep debate and it is very difficult to have a definite opinion.

'What is for sure is you do not want artificial protection of the mediocrity and that's where you have to be very careful because this is a job where we're very well paid, therefore you want top, top quality.

'You want to be the best Premier League in the world so you want to be top quality and open to the best players in the world, but the best way to respond and to fulfil all the expectation of the FA is to produce good top quality young players. England is on its way but there is still a job to do.'