da realbet： Despite having already played 54 times this season, Arsenal youngster Jack Wilshere looks set to be named in Stuart Pearce’s squad for the Under-21 European Championships next month. A stout protector of his own players, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has been campaigning for Wilshere to be rested for the summer for the sake of his own health and future after a long season for both club and country. Having also broken into the senior England side, Wenger has questioned why Wilshere is still involved with the Under-21s.
da doce： Wenger’s complaints look to have fallen on death ears so far. But, another player to have broken into the Senior side and originally earmarked for the Under-21 squad looks set to be rested following concerns from his club. Since his £30 million switch to Liverpool, Andy Carroll has struggled for fitness with an injury first sustained at Newcastle.
With the FA seemingly willing to rest Carroll but not Wilshere, expect a tirade of criticism from Wenger. But does the Frenchmen have a valid arguement?
Wilshere has played a great deal more games than Carroll. And, with the Championship set to take place in under two weeks and run until the end of June, Wilshere would only have around six weeks until the start of the new Premier League campaign. With Wenger stating the midfielder needs four weeks of complete rest, he would struggle to be match-fit and ready for the new season.
Carroll, meanwhile, would be allowed a full two and half months before the start of next season. But the player has struggled to play regularly since his January switch to Liverpool and would represent a gamble anyway. More importantly, were Carroll to seriously aggravate his knee injury and face a lengthy spell on the sidelines, the FA would run the risk of serious action from Liverpool over their club record signing.
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Wenger seems to undermine the importance of the Under-21 tournament itself. Whilst not as high-profile as last year’s World Cup, it would be of definite importance to the future of English football. With the likes of Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and John Terry all the wrong side of 30, it would give the next generation a great opportunity to play in a tournament together. Likewise, it would be a great experience for the likes of Wilshere and Carroll.
The FA cannot be seen to favour Liverpool’s wishes over Arsenal’s. But, Wenger must remember that Carroll has had a completely different season to Wilshere. Wenger has never been a great believer in the importance of internationals at the expense of club football, but Wilshere would be a key player for the Under-21s and the Wenger must see the influence it could have on his development.