Arsene Wenger is tempted to start with Jack Wilshere for the English Premier League game against Queens Park Rangers Saturday, with the Arsenal manager holding no doubts about the fact that the 20-year-old will return from injury a better player.
Wilshere has not played a competitive game for the Gunners since May 2011 - a 2-2 draw against Fulham -- but has made some good progress since recovering from a stress fracture in his ankle and subsequent setbacks.
Arsenal have alarmingly failed to create any decent chance in the last 180 minutes against Norwich and Schalke - two games that the Gunners deservedly lost.
Wenger kept Wilshere on the bench against Norwich, deciding not to use him because "the game was too intense."
Knowing the lack of creativity in the middle of the park at the moment, however, Wenger might seriously consider playing the little playmaker from the start, in order to inject that much-needed freshness.
"What I am considering is that he wants to play, it is an important game, but we want the players to be ready physically and he has not played for 14 months," Wenger said.
"It was planned for him to play next week at Reading (in the League Cup) and also we consider how the squad are physically and mentally. Physically Jack is at 80 to 85 percent.
"What you have to consider first is that he has no setback and that you don't put players in situations, when they are tired and don't have coordination, that they pick up an injury. That is what you look at.
"After if you look at a more selfish view you can say a guy can play an hour. But during this hour it is important that he is fit enough to play. It is true (that you only get to 100 percent by playing) but at the right time. It is difficult to plan."
There have been some concerns, however, about where Wilshere will play with some quarters suggesting the arrival of Santi Cazorla might stunt the midfielder's progress. However, Wilshere generally plays in the central midfield position - ideally alongside Arteta, or even Abou Diaby - with Cazorla playing in a freer role further up front.
Irrespective of those doubts, however, Wenger has no doubts talented players like Cazorla and Wilshere will find no problems playing in the same team. "Good players like to play with each other," Wenger added. "Cazorla came here and, straight away, after 10 minutes training everybody understood he is a great player.
"So the easiest way to find good combinations is to play together."
