Arsene Wenger wants strong Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain for tough start to Arsenal's Premier League campaign 

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Arsene Wenger had a glint in his eye and a point to make. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain had just shown his quality in stunning fashion and his manager wanted to let him know his feelings.

‘When you look at him, it is difficult to find what he has not got,’ Wenger, who doesn’t deal in hollow platitudes, said. ‘That is why I would like him to get to wherever he can go. Maybe he doesn’t completely believe in himself how good he can be? That is the final step for him.’

Arsenal’s preparations for the new campaign are moving smoothly and their 3-1 win against Mexican side Chivas at the StubHub Center in the early hours of Monday morning completed a successful tour of California. 

Arsene Wenger is hoping Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain can return to full fitness for Arsenal

The midfielder suffered with a knee injury which limited his game-time last season

Oxlade-Chamberlain scored in Arsenal's pre-season fixture against Chivas Guadalajara

The past week has seen Granit Xhaka seamlessly introduce himself following his £30m signing from Borussia Monchengladbach and Rob Holding – scorer of the opening goal here – show his value in a few years will be significantly greater than the £2m it took to prise him from Bolton.

Nobody, though, has caught the eye more than Oxlade-Chamberlain. His first game back in Lens on July 20 after five months on the sidelines with a knee ligament problem featured a glorious chip to secure a 1-1 draw but he surpassed that effort in LA Galaxy’s stadium.

With 50 minutes gone, Alex Iwobi ushered a simple ball into his path on the right wing; from there, Oxlade-Chamberlain jinked past one challenge, back-heeled his way past another before unleashing a left-footed drive that gathered speed as it zipped into the net. 

Wenger says Oxlade-Chamberlain's power and penetration is crucial for his team

He celebrated with a cursory wave and a contented smile but inside he will surely have been delighted; the past five months have been torture and the 22-year-old, who also played a key role in the third goal scored by Chuba Akpom, has given himself a platform to attack the new campaign.

‘It’s a very important season for him, you know?’ said Wenger. ‘He has been out for a long, long time last year. He has not gone to the European Championships with England like he should have done if he was fit. That is why I am cautious with him. I played him for the first 45 minutes then 70 minutes.

‘I hope I can get him through to the start of the season because it is very important for him. He gives us pace, power and penetration.’ 

The Arsenal boss also hopes Santi Cazorla can return to peak condition after a knee injury

It is five years since Wenger spent £12million to take Oxlade-Chamberlain from Southampton and he clearly wants him at the club for another five years, given the glowing nature of his tone, but he is right to emphasise what is at stake: this is the campaign in which he must deliver.

Of course, the same is true for Arsenal as a collective. Wenger is pursuing Lyon’ s Alexandre Lacazetteand is expected to make another bid for the Lyon striker this week, while he is “certain” he will find a replacement for Per Mertesacker, with Valencia’s Shokdhran Mustafi a firm target.

The midfield technician was sorely missed with a lay-off of five months last year

‘We have not closed any deal with anybody at the moment,’ said Wenger, who has not made a decision on Arsenal’s next club captain. ‘If you speak about Mustafi or anyone else, we haven’t concluded anything. I understand you want answers but I’m not ready to come out on any names.’

One of the things Wenger would discuss, though, was Santi Cazorla. He, like Oxlade-Chamberlain, finished last season with an injury. He linked well with Xhaka in midfield during the first 45 minutes but the Spaniard will not be ready to face Liverpool on August 14.

‘He is our technical security in midfield and we missed him for five or six months last season,’ said Wenger, who allayed fears that there was anything sinister behind Jack Wilshere’s absence other than a patella issue in his knee. ‘He is a bit behind the others but he should be all right.’