Wenger Not Happy About Jack Wilshere's Involvement in England Under 21s

Wenger responded yesterday to the FA’s pledge to take the ‘strongest possible team’ to next year’s European Under 21 Championship in Denmark by insisting it was one commitment too many.

The Arsenal youngster is keen to play for the Under 21s despite graduating to Fabio Capello’s senior England team this season, but his club boss fears the 18-year-old will need time to recharge his body after his first full campaign as a regular starter.

Wenger said: "Jack Wilshere will play more than 40 games this season and, at 18, you have to be conscious that every time he plays, when he goes into the fight, he has to put in 200 per cent to win the ball. When a guy like him has played 40 games in the season, he needs a rest."

Wenger added, "The boy wants to play and he find that positive, but the idea that he is now playing with the first team until June and then playing in the Under 21s will not work."

Wenger ask to FA to decide if Wilshere is in the first team or the Under 21s. "Personally, I don’t believe a player ever performs when he has been in the top team and comes back to the Under 21s."

Sir Trevor Brooking, the FA’s director of football development, said this week he hoped Wilshere could play for Fabio Capello’s senior team in a Euro 2012 qualifier against Switzerland on June 4 if necessary and then fly to Denmark to join the Under 21s, who start the Euro finals against Spain on June 12.

"We would like to try and get as strong a side as possible for that tournament," said Brooking. "We’ve got a shocker of a draw, with Spain, Czech Republic and Ukraine. It will be a really good test but we will need our best players."

Andy Carroll, Micah Richards, Kieran Gibbs and Jordan Henderson are also eligible for the Under 21s and have recently been involved in Capello’s squad.*