Just Arsenal News

Jack Wilshere completed his first full game in 14 months for Arsenal on Tuesday, and he has revealed that he is feeling fitter after every match and believes that, given time, he will return to the high level of peformance he achieved before his ankle injury first knocked him low.

“I don’t think there was a point where I thought I’m not coming back,” Wilshere said. “I always thought I could come back.

“It was a serious injury, of course it kept me out for so long, but it wasn’t the result of a bad tackle or anything where it was career-threatening. It was just something that happened over time. .......Read the full article here

The Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong returned to training earlier than Jack Wilshere after his 7 month layoff with a broken leg, and has played in more reserve games that the young English international, but he is adamant that he is still not yet ready to be thrown into the Gunners first-team just yet.

He said: “I still don’t believe I am 100 per cent right – obviously I am playing but I don’t think I am ready for the first team yet,”

“I still need two more 90-minute games for the Arsenal reserves, then I will be fine. .......Read the full article here

Arsene Wenger surprised everyone (including Jack himself!) by naming the returning young Wilshere in the Arsenal starting XI against QPR, and the Frenchman admitted that he hoped that just having Jack back on the pitch would give the side a much-needed confidence boost after two back-to-back defeats.

Wenger said: “I made the decision without telling him because when you have not played for such a long time it is not always easy to deal with that and there is a high level of expectation when he goes on the pitch. I also felt the confidence of the team was a bit jaded and sometimes players with experience and quality give a bit of a lift as well.” .......Read the full article here

The Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere may have played a couple of hours for the Arsenal reserves, but it seems that Arsene Wenger is going to stick to his promise not to rush him back to full fitness so as to make sure he doesn’t suffer a setback from trying too hard.

The Gunners captain Thomas Vermaelen believes that Wilshere has been working hard and will come back even stronger but admits that it will take time for him to return to match fitness. Vermaelen said: “For me, he can be one of the best midfielders in the world. He has the potential for that. .......Read the full article here

The Arsenal midfielder Abou Diaby returned to the fold in spectacular fashion this summer with some impressive performances at the beginning of the season. Unluckily this was also noticed by the France manager Didier Deschamps who immediately called up Diaby for the World Cup Qualifiers last month.

Arsene Wenger now blames Deschamps for playing him too early before he had completely rgained his match fitness. Wenger said: “I said many times that if France wanted Diaby for their game in Spain [a World Cup qualifier on October 16], they should not take him for Finland and Russia [last month's qualifiers]. .......Read the full article here

The Germany legend Berti Vogts, who won the World Cup with his country in 1974 and also managed them to two European Championship Finals (winning one) has spoken out about the new Arsenal star Lukas Podolski.

He thinks that the ex-Cologne striker had it too easy in the Bundesliga and spent too much time out partying with his mates than concentrating on his fitness for the club.

“I am happy that Podolski has left Cologne,” Vogts said. “He had too many friends in the city. He got praised as a great runner if he ever got back to defend three times in a game. He got an easy ride and he believed his own publicity. .......Read the full article here

I have some good news for Gooners! by AH

Now, please take note that the title is sarcastic, but I thought that this recent piece of news would be good to share with the readers on justarsenal.com.

According to a few media outlets including the Daily Mail, Mikael Silvestre will soon return to Arsenal to train with the Gunners after he was released from Werder Bremen, following his two year stint at the club. The defender spent two years at Arsenal as well following his transfer from Manchester United, for a reported £ 500,000. The former French international made 26 league appearances for Arsenal, scoring 3 goals. .......Read the full article here

There are a lot of Arsenal fans that will have given up on Abou Diaby ever returning to his brilliant form from his younger days, but we could take heart from the fact that a certain Robin Van Persie was also injured for seven years in a row before he finally turned into a top-class goalscorer.

Admittedly Diaby has probably missed a lot more playing time than RVP and just 13 starts in the last two seasons isn’t going to give us much optimism for this year, but having come through the opening game unscathed (not to mention the pre-season) perhaps we could give the French international the benefit of the doubt. .......Read the full article here

Podolski ready to reveal himself: by SV

Everyone is still pinching themselves after the signing of Santi Cazorla, with many calling him our best signing of the last decade. Personally, however, I am more excited about the prospect of Lukas Podolski. Ever since the 2006 World Cup in Germany, I’ve wanted the striker here at Arsenal. But I didn’t want him in the way that I wanted M’Vila or Cahill; I wanted him in the same way that I wanted Karim Benzema and Lionel Messi at Arsenal. In other words, I saw him as a dream move, a dream which I never expected to materialise. .......Read the full article here

The Netherlands had a very good team two years ago when they got to the Final of the World Cup against Spain, although they were quite disgraced by their tactics in the Final. This time around they are looking much classier, especially with Arsenal’s Robin Van Persie in such irresistable form.

He scored 37 goals for the Gunners this season, and has followed that up by scoring another three in Hollands latest two warm-up games. I don’t know if he has been doing lots of home exercise programs but the 29 year-old is certainly looking faster and stronger than ever before! .......Read the full article here

Should we rush Wilshere back? by SV

Today, I would like to use an article to ask your opinion more than anything else…

The news came out recently that Jack Wilshere’s progress is ‘slow’ and that we ‘will not take any risks’ with the midfield maestro. This is in contrast to what I believed to be the truth earlier in the season. Of course, I always knew that we would not take any risks with Jack, but I was under the impression that he would come back for the last five or six games of the season. In other words, I thought he would be back round about now. .......Read the full article here

Arsene Wenger has been very cautious about Jack Wilshere’s progress since he suffered a setback just before his return to the Arsenal squad a few months ago, but he is now convinced that the 19 year-old has fully recovered and could figure for the Gunners very shortly.

“Wilshere is back with the ball and for us that is a huge step,” Wenger told Arsenal.com. “The work we do with the ball is always quite demanding.

“Today we can say if all goes well now in three weeks he will be back with the squad. Then another two weeks to get fit. I don’t have to hold him back yet because at the moment he suffers a lot for fitness. But after three weeks we’ll have to. .......Read the full article here