It was only last week that Sky Sports was wondering if West Ham’s Jack Wilshere was the answer to England’s lack of creativity in their midfield.
The 26-year-old has “shown moments of quality for his new club”, said the broadcaster, adding: “His low centre of gravity and combination of agility and power has been both a blessing and a curse, allowing him to wriggle out of tight situations but also leading to numerous injuries from fouls, particularly to his ankles over the course of his career.”
Fragile feet
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Latest Videos FromThe Week
Those words proved prescient. West Ham announced last night that Wilshere has undergone surgery on his ankle, following an injury during training, and will be sidelined for six weeks.
It’s an all too familiar story for the former Arsenal playmaker, whose career at the Emirates was blighted by injury. When he burst onto the scene in 2009, the 17-year-old had the world at his feet, but alas, it transpired those feet were as fragile as the rest of him.
The Daily Mail subsequently worked out that by November 2014, Wilshere had missed 119 weeks of action because of various injuries.
Ankle issue
Things didn’t improve for the midfielder. Arsenal eventually gave up on him, and Wilshere left for West Ham this summer.
Now, a statement on his new club’s official website has announced: “Jack underwent successful surgery in London on Monday morning for a minor ongoing ankle issue.
“The surgeon was happy with the procedure and all went as planned. We envisage he will only need a relatively short period of rest and will then start his rehabilitation. Jack is focused and determined to get back training and playing as soon as possible.”
Hammer blow
Not only is Wilshere’s absence a blow for West Ham - who will be without him for key fixtures against Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham - but it also ends his hopes of an England recall for the foreseeable future.
England play Croatia and Spain next month, followed by the USA and Croatia in November, but manager Gareth Southgate will have to look elsewhere for that creative spark that the Three Lions require in midfield.
As for West Ham fans, they aren’t extending Wilshere much sympathy in light of the injury update. “Why oh why did we waste money on a player with glass ankles,” asked one fan on social media. “His problems are well documented.”
