Wenger expects Wilshere back in a month

LONDON - Agence France-Presse

Arsenal's manager Arsene Wenger reacts during the English Premier League soccer match Liverpool vs Arsenal at Anfield in Liverpool, Britain, 02 September 2012. EPA photo

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has revealed that England midfielder Jack Wilshere could be back in action within one month.
 
Wilshere has been sidelined since before the start of last season after a series of setbacks as he battles to recover from an ankle injury.
 
But the 20-year-old has returned to training recently and Wenger believes Wilshere's progress suggests he could feature for the Gunners by early October.
 
"Wilshere is looking very good in training," Wenger said after Sunday's 2-0 win at Liverpool.
 
"It depends what you call close, but I would say in a month he should be starting to play again." That would be a major boost to Wenger, who lost Cameroon midfielder Alex Song to Barcelona just before the start of the season, as well as selling Dutch striker Robin van Persie to Manchester United.
 
However, Wenger believes Arsenal's dominant victory at Liverpool -- their first of the new Premier League campaign -- showed his midfield is strong enough that Wilshere cannot be guaranteed to go straight back into the starting line-up.
 
"Look at our midfield," he said. "You have (Mikel) Arteta, (Santi) Cazorla, Wilshere, (Francis) Coquelin and (Tomas) Rosicky. That is quality and there is a fight for the places."