CROCKED: Wilshere has not played this season

The Arsenal midfielder has been pencilled in for a return in February having missed the entire season so far with an ankle injury.

England boss Roy Hodgson wants his selections for this summer’s finals in France to be ready by March for friendlies with Germany and Holland, meaning Wilshere, 23, cannot afford any setbacks.

“When you love football and at his age, when you wake up in the morning and you can’t practice that’s terrible,” said Arsenal boss Wenger.

“They need support and I try to give it to him. But he is strong and he is dealing with that.

“I’m an optimist and I always think: ‘OK it’s true that he hasn’t played many games in recent years, I hope at some stage that will stop because he is young’ and I hope I’m right.

“He is a special case because he is a special talent and he comes out of the club. And he is an England international.”