West Ham United manager Manuel Pellegrini has revealed that he expects midfielder Jack Wilshere to return to first team action in two weeks time.
The 27-year-old Englishman hasn’t played since returning from two months out against Newcastle United at the start of December. He has suffered a number of setbacks in his time as a Hammer.
However, Pellegrini has provided a positive update sharing Wilshere’s return is imminent: “He is continuing with his six weeks of rest about his ankle,” he told the Evening Standard. “He is in treatment and I hope that next week maybe he can start making some running, on the treadmill or the other gym.
“Will he play again this season? Yes, yes of course. He will be ready [for] the beginning of February,” he finished.
OPINION
This is, in theory, good news for West Ham. Wilshere is very much a technical player, and that seems to be what Pellegrini wants his team to be built around. He wants his team to be better in possession and more creative when on the ball, and that’s what Wilshere can bring. However, given how Wilshere looked in his first couple of months at West Ham this isn’t necessarily a massive deal for the Hammers. He was extremely poor earlier in the campaign and he seriously needs to up his game when he does eventually return to the fray. Declan Rice is the undisputed star of this West Ham midfield, while Mark Noble, Robert Snodgrass, Samir Nasri and Felipe Anderson have all made positive impacts recently. The competition for places will be fierce once Wilshere is back, and he’ll need to make sure that he makes the most of every chance he gets.
