Jack Wilshere made his first start for us since May 2016 on Wednesday night - and his performance offered plenty of encouragement.
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The England international impressed as he completed 90 minutes in our 1-0 win against Doncaster Rovers and afterwards Arsene Wenger had this to say about him:
on Wilshere getting a run out…
I wanted to leave him on to give him 90 minutes and overall I think it was an ideal game for him tonight to gain confidence and fitness. We’ll see after that how he will respond, normally he’s alright after the game.
on him proving something to Wenger…
Well I think you have to put this game into perspective as well - it has not exactly the intensity of a Premier League game, but it’s important for him to build him up gradually.
on whether he has the same diet as Sead Kolasinac…
No, no, no, no I don’t think they eat together.
on when he will start in the Premier League…
I don’t know, I go game by game and we play next week three games, Monday, Thursday, Sunday before the international break, so I will have to make decisions to balance the team and to see who I play and when.
on whether Jack needs careful management...
For me he is available now to play and the decision I have to make is when to play him, but I think this kind of game in its 90 minutes at that intensity repeated and then he will soon be back. You see that in his movement it is natural and after that everybody is looking at him because of course everybody expects him to come back to his best and I wish that as well.
on contract talks with Wilshere…
Tonight is not the best moment to speak about that.
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