Arsenal: Jack Wilshere’s last chance cannot pass him by

Jack Wilshere is in line to feature against FC Koln on Thursday. It is his last chance to save his Arsenal career. He cannot afford to let it pass him by.

Jack Wilshere’s career has not gone as hoped. Bursting onto the scene as a fresh-faced 18-year-old, partnering Cesc Fabregas in a pivoting Arsenal midfield of great skill, fluidity and precision, Wilshere was the archetypal Arsene Wenger player: young, vibrant, technically sound, creative.

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But the development that Wenger had planned for Wilshere was never allowed to flourish. Injuries were the cause of such painful and frustrating scuppering. Primarily, a pair of weak and wobbly ankles that were not helped by his over-stretching style, often tricking defenders into the thought that they might just win the ball, before shifting past them with a last-gasp poke.

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After years of patience and petition, Wenger’s wick had worn down; Wilshere, as the future of Arsenal, was no more. Or at least that was the prevailing thought. Rarely does Wenger allow a player of Wilshere’s age to leave on loan if he believes them a part of the team’s future. But as preparations are made before FC Koln’s trip to North London on Thursday, the first game that Wenger will manage the Gunners in the Europa League after succumbing to a fifth-place finish last season, Wenger talked about Wilshere’s readiness, stating that he looked good in training after recovering from a broken leg suffered as last year drew to a close:

"“There was always a huge pressure on him to come back as quickly as possible and to expect a lot. He’s on a good way in training. He’s getting stronger and stronger every day, and that’s what we want from him. He was injured at the start of the season from last season, so he was a bit behind the other players but he’s getting better and better. Every game is an opportunity for him and this season’s a good opportunity for him as well.”"

Such comments tell me that Wenger is planning to give Wilshere one more opportunity to prove his worth. He does yet trust him in the Premier League; he may never trust him in the Premier League. But in the lesser valued Europa League, there are chances for Wilshere to resurrect what seems to be a dying career.

The first of those chances comes on Thursday, with Wilshere likely to start. Francis Coquelin will miss the tie through injury, neither Granit Xhaka nor Aaron Ramsey were training on Wednesday, a fairly sure sign that they will not feature, and only the only other senior central midfielder available for selection is Mohamed Elneny.

Wilshere cannot afford to let this chance slip by him. Some would argue that it already has. But Wenger seems willing, with just one more year remaining on the now 25-year-old’s contract, to give his former starlet one last roll of the dice.

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Wilshere’s career is one of unfulfillment. Not through any fault of his or his manager. It is a stark and simple truth. He has one last opportunity to flip the narrative. I doubt there are few who begrudge him that opportunity, but backing him to take it is another question altogether.