Wenger insists Wilshere fighting hard for his place

Cape Town - Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger insists Jack Wilshere is a special player and that he is working hard to fight his way back into the starting line-up.

The Englishman is yet to make a Premier League appearance this season, after recovering from a broken leg, but played 22 minutes in the Europa League clash with Cologne last week and could get another chance in the EFL Cup against Doncaster Rovers on Wednesday.

Wenger admits the 25-year-old isn't quite at his best yet but is getting close to it and should be a real contender for a place in the Gunners' midfield.

"If you ask me, 'Is he back to his full, 100% potential?', I would say no," said Wenger, as quoted by Four Four Two. "But he's not far away.

"The rest now can only be gained by competition. That's why I believe that these kind of games [Europa League and EFL Cup] are very important for Jack at the moment.

"He is focused, he is working hard and he is absolutely determined to get his place back in the team. There is a big fight there, and that's what we want.

"It's a dream for all of us to see him fulfill his potential.

"I gave Jack his start at 17 years of age. That means I am convinced - you have to be convinced, to play a boy at 17 years of age, that he is a special player.

"He is a special player, but we are all the same in that you need health to work - I need health to work and a football player needs to be healthy to play."