The Arsenal manager, Arsène Wenger, will speak to Jack Wilshere after the England midfielder was photographed smoking while on holiday.
The 22-year-old was criticised by his manager last season after he was pictured smoking outside a nightclub. At the time, the England player promised it would not happen again.
Speaking after Arsenal’s friendly at Boreham Wood – which they won 2-0 – Wenger told arsenal.com: “I haven’t spoken to him so it’s very difficult for me to make any statement. I know what you can make of pictures. I have to speak to him really to see what happened before I come out publicly. I’m not deeply concerned by it. I just want to know what happened.
“He’s at an age where you want him to move forward. He has the potential. I believe for him: the most important thing now is to have a good preparation and focus on getting really fit.
“Jack is a great player – he has a football brain and he’s ambitious. I’m sure that if he’s injury free, he will have a great season.”
Wenger has signed Mathieu Debuchy and Alexis Sánchez already this summer and said more new faces will arrive, although he hinted former Arsenal star Cesc Fàbregas had chosen to go to Chelsea rather than return to the Emirates. Arsenal had first refusal on the player after he decided to leave Barcelona.
“I think people came out and said he wanted to go to Chelsea. I don’t know who tells the truth here or not. He landed where he wanted to go,” said Wenger, responding to why Arsenal did not move for their former captain.