Arsenal chief Wenger plays down significance of Wilshere injury
Arsene Wenger has backed Jack Wilshere to recover quickly from his latest injury setback.
Arsenal confirmed on Tuesday that the 23-year-old midfielder requires surgery on a hairline fracture in his left leg and is set for several weeks of rehabilitation.
The England international has missed almost 1,000 days of football through injury but Wenger was quick to praise his player's resilience and ability to recover.
"Like every player, he wants to play football and he is disappointed, but he has shown in the past he can deal with that," Wenger said, speaking ahead of Arsenal's Champions League opener against Dinamo Zagreb.
"I think he was determined to do it quickly and come back as quickly as possible.
"This kind of injury is not a kind of injury which can damage your career. It is just a bone that did not heal well. They need to put a little clip in. That is nothing major, not a career-threatening injury.
"I am not a bone specialist, so I would not like to give too many details. I have been explained the situation, but I leave that to the medical people. There is nothing malicious in there, just a part of his bone that has not healed.
"When you are injured and you come back, you always go through a vulnerable period, where you need to strengthen your body again, to gain competition," he said.
"I think he is young enough to get over that and I hope his body will stabilise, I am confident he will and that he can make a career his talent deserves."
Arsenal travelled to Zagreb also without Aaron Ramsey, Hector Bellerin and Per Mertesacker, who are all rested. Dinamo have not lost a game in 41 matches and Wenger says he is expecting a difficult game at the Stadion Maksimir.
"Croatian football always produces top level technical quality, that is their strength," he said.
"We have to focus on our own performance and to beat them have to play at our best and without speculating on any weak link in a team that has not lost a game for 11 months."
