Wenger patient on Wilshere comeback

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is hopeful Jack Wilshere will soon return to training but has confirmed he will not play in August.

Wilshere has been sidelined for a year with a string of ankle and knee problems and the 20-year-old is still yet to kick a ball following surgery in May.

He has not accompanied Arsenal on their pre-season tour of Asia.

Wenger is confident the England international is making good progress but remains wary given the continual setbacks Wilshere has suffered.

“I am positive but a bit cautious because we had so much disappointing news with him,” Wenger said.

“Everybody in the medical department says to me he’s doing very well. He is still in the gym. Any player still in the gym in July is not on the pitch in August, that is for sure.

“I don’t want to give him any precise deadline because that would put him under huge pressure. At the moment, I’m trying to go step-by-step with him but the news is positive.

“I am more positive this time because there is no setback. He had his ankle problem and that created a knee problem. He needed surgery on his knee tendon.

“The advantage of this was to heal completely the inflammation in the ankle. The ankle is perfect and the knee is doing very well. Normally he should go out again in a few weeks.

“It will take some time to come back but let’s not forget Jack is 20 and that means you recover quicker than when you’re 32.

“If he has no medical problem, he will come back very quickly.”

Arsenal begin their tour in Kuala Lumpur without a host of first-team players, leaving Wenger frustrated.

New signings Olivier Giroud and Lukas Podolski have been given additional time to recover following Euro 2012, while Aaron Ramsey is on Olympic duty with Great Britain.

Robin Van Persie has not travelled with the squad amid speculation about his future.

“It’s a little bit of a concern we have players missing but there’s not much choice,” Wenger said.

“After a World Cup or the European Championships you’re always in the same situation. The good thing for us is that the other clubs have the same problem.”