Arsene Wenger: 'Carl Jenkinson isn't playing with confidence'

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has acknowledged that defender Carl Jenkinson is yet to regain his best form since returning to the Arsenal squad after a knee injury.

Jenkinson made his first appearance in nine months during Arsenal's EFL Cup win over Reading in October but he has come in for criticism from the club's supporters after a number of inconsistent performances.

However, while Wenger has admitted that the right-back is not performing to the levels expected at the Emirates Stadium, he has insisted that it will take time for the player to be ready to play well on a regular basis.

The Frenchman told reporters: "He has lost confidence because the Jenkinson you see at the moment is the Jenkinson who can play but is not completely Jenkinson because he has no confidence. That will come back.

"He had knee surgery after he had two shoulder surgeries and what he is going through at the moment is, for me, a bit normal but very difficult to live [with] for a player. Why? Because you think you are there. And then you will play and realise you are not as good as you think you should be and you lose confidence.

"He will be in and out and, after one or two months, he will make the step and play. Today it is even more difficult because he gets quickly hammered by everybody on social media. I hope he doesn't read all that and focuses on his game."

Jenkinson is unlikely to feature when Arsenal travel to Jenkinson's former club West Ham United on Saturday.