Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has confirmed that Jack Wilshere will be out until February at the earliest, casting doubt on the midfielder's participation at next summer's European Championships.
The 23-year-old has yet to feature for the Gunners this season after breaking his leg during a training session the day before the Community Shield match in August.
Wilshere had been expected to be back in contention for the festive period but, speaking after Arsenal's 4-0 drubbing at Southampton on Boxing Day, Wenger admitted that he had yet to even return to training.
"He will not be back before February, that's for sure," Wenger told reporters.
"Is there a comeback date? I say February but, honestly, I don't know. I let him do his recovery. It's going slowly.
"Once he goes outside to train and once he is back again into sharp, hard work, physically, you count five or six weeks. At the moment, he is not there yet."
Since stepping up to the Arsenal first team in 2008, Wilshere has been sidelined with injury or illness 25 times.
Neil Wilkes
