Jack Wilshere's underwent successful ankle surgery on Monday morning, but the news wasn't all good as it was revealed that the Arsenal midfielder may not return to the pitch until February. Wilshere initially hurt his ankle when playing for England in June and injured it further in Arsenal's preseason, leading to a stress fracture. After the initial diagnosis of the injury, Wilshere tweeted that he hoped to be back by Christmas, but that will not be the case.
Jack Wilshere Undergoes Ankle Surgery, Could Be Out Until February
“Jack Wilshere has this morning undergone ankle surgery at a central London hospital. Under the care of two world-renowned surgeons, Jack has had the stress fracture of his right ankle repaired,” a statement from Arsenal read. “The initial indications are that the surgery has been successful and Jack will now undergo a prolonged period of rehabilitation. It is envisaged that Jack’s rehabilitation will take a period of four to five months.”
A four month rehabilitation would mean that Wilshere will not return until late January at the earliest with five months keeping him out until the end of February. He has not played in a competitive match this season and the latest timeline for recovery now rules him out for the entire Champions League group stage. As importantly, Wilshere will miss almost two-thirds of the Premier League season, one which could see the Gunners miss out on a Champions League place for next season as they are expected to battle Tottenham and Liverpool for fourth place and the final qualification spot.
Wilshere’s injury could also rule him out of every match England plays before gathering for their training camp prior to Euro 2012. He will certainly miss this month’s final Euro qualifiers and Englan’ds possible two-legged playoff next month, but he could also miss some preparatory friendlies. The final FIFA international date before next summer’s tournament is in February, which Wilshere is now a doubt for.
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