Report: Arsenal ask for Wilshere omission against Germany

Arsenal have reportedly asked England to only play injury-plagued midfielder Jack Wilshere in one of their upcoming friendlies.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is understood to have discussed Wilshere's fragile fitness with his Three Lions counterpart Roy Hodgson.

According to The Mirror, the Frenchman is now hopeful that England will only use the 21-year-old in the match with Chile on Friday, and not in the clash against Germany five days later.

That would give the former Bolton Wanderers loanee over a week of recovery time until Arsenal host Southampton in the Premier League, which would allow the youngster to rest his troubled ankle.

Wilshere has been put on a special training and fitness programme to manage the foot injury, which cost him 17 months of action and continues to inflame following physically-demanding fixtures.