Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere is set to undergo surgery on his left fibula after suffering an injury in the club's training preparations prior to a Community Shield match against Premier League rivals Chelsea back in August.
The operation will involve a metal plate's insertion into the injured area of Wilshere's left leg. An official Arsenal statement claimed that "Jack is likely to be out for approximately three months."
Tough luck for Wilshere
Wilshere, 23, has not yet appeared for Arsenal in the 2015-16 campaign. He has struggled the past few years with leg ailments, as he brings some deja vu to supporters of the Gunners, who saw him sit out five months in 2014-15 with ankle ligament damage.
The club statement also noted that the surgery is an onset effect from a slow recovery from the initial fracture in Wilshere's fibula, saying that their "decision to intervene" comes after "regular reviews by specialists," who shared the view that the player's recovery "is not progressing as well as expected."
Wenger and club show support for the youngster
Manager Arsene Wenger shed light on his knowledge surrounding the situation on Tuesday in Croatia, ahead of the club's Champions League match against Dinamo Zagreb.
Wenger said that the injury is not one "which can damage your career," playing down its seriousness by saying "it is just a bone that did not heal well" and that the doctors now just "need to put a little clip in."
Though the Frenchman conceded that he is "not a specialist," he believes it was simply "an accident, which was not linked with his ankles" - an area where the England international has had problems too.
Wilshere has been lauded for his immense talent and potential at Arsenal, but now inquiries about whether he will recover from yet another setback. Still, his coach and teammates certainly have his back.
Captain Mikel Arteta spoke about the injury, saying that Wilshere is "an enormous talent" who has "support from every department of the club" as he begins his recovery.
The former Everton man admitted that the team "feel sorry for him" as they do not want to see his talent become a "waste," as "he has an amazing career ahead of him."
The Spaniard continued, saying that he and his side "are responsible" for ensuring Wilshere remembers this and that they "do not allow him to fall down" and lead to him "not [believing] in himself or his body" - with the main thing being that "he needs to trust himself" when he returns.
Wenger added that he thinks the player "is young enough to get over [the injury]" and remained hopeful that "his body will stabilise." The Frenchman concluded by saying that he is "confident he will and that he can make a career his talent deserves."