Wilshere's "Stress Fracture" - Out for 5 Months

Arsenal's young midfielder, Jack Wilshere will be out of action for up to four to five months after having surgery to correct a stress fracture in his right ankle. It is a massive blow to Arsene Wenger and his hopes of getting his key players back from injury as soon as possible in order for Arsenal to climb back up the Premier League table.

Wilshere has not played any competitive games for Arsenal this season, having realized the injury in a pre season friendly against the New York Red Bulls late in July. His absence from the team as well as the departure of Nasri and Fabregas can be put down as one of the main reasons that the club has started the season so badly against sides who have stronger depth and energy in their squads.

Wilshere's injury is a "stress fracture", and if you have never heard of such an injury before, allow me to explain as best I can with the help of my trusty friend Wikipedia. It is caused by "unusual or repeated stress" and also heavy continuous weight on the ankle or leg - in Wilshere's case, the ankle. Unlike Aaron Ramsey and Eduardo's injuries in recent times at Arsenal, Wilshere's "stress fracture" will not have appeared suddenly, but over time through repeated traumas, which when added together, week in, week out of playing football, were enough to cause severe pain to the ankle.

The argument of Wilshere being "overplayed" in Arsenal's long season last year may be brought into the equation, and considering his young age of just 19 and the 49 games he played under Wenger in the 2010-11 season, there is certainly some weight behind it. The player is constantly on the move around the field, is naturally aggressive in his play and is never afraid of committing to a strong tackle a few times a game. A combination of his style of play and number of appearances may have unfortunately led to this injury.

Arsenal have their star in good hands however, with a club statement revealing that Wilshere is under the care of two world renowned surgeons. It read:

"Jack Wilshere has this morning undergone ankle surgery at a central London hospital. Under the care of two world-renowned surgeons, Jack has had the stress fracture of his right ankle repaired."

"The initial indications are that the surgery has been successful and Jack will now undergo a prolonged period of rehabilitation. It is envisaged that Jack's rehabilitation will take a period of four to five months."

We wish Wilshere the best of luck in his rehabilitation process.

Follow Me on Twitter @DBSFootball