Sunderland vs Arsenal teams: Jack Wilshere poised to make first appearance of the season

Wilshere has not played a minute of first-team football this season after suffering a broken leg in pre-season

Jack Wilshere is expected to make his Arsenal return against Sunderland (Getty)

Jack Wilshere is poised to make his first competitive appearance for Arsenal this season in the Premier League clash with Sunderland, with the midfielder named on the substitutes’ bench after coming through three Under-21 matches unscathed.

Wilshere has not played for the first team this season after suffering a fractured fibula in pre-season training, with the England international suffering a setback in October that has kept him on the sidelines and put his participation at Euro 2016 in major doubt.

The 24-year-old will go to France in the summer as part of Roy Hodgson’s squad for the European Championships providing he can prove his fitness, and he is set to begin that campaign today with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger naming him on the bench for the trip to Sunderland.

Wilshere last played for Arsenal in their FA Cup final victory last season against Aston Villa, and his last competitive outing came in the 3-2 victory over Slovenia that sealed England’s unblemished run through the Euro qualifiers with a perfect 10 out of 10 record – with Wilshere scoring twice on the day.

Wenger has been keen not to rush Wilshere back into action given his recent injury troubles, and is likely to use him sparingly in Arsenal’s four remaining games of the season in the hope that Wilshere avoids further injury.

Teams

Sunderland: Mannone, Yedlin, van Aanholt, Kaboul, Kone, Kirchhoff, M'Vila, Cattermole, Borini, Khazri, Defoe.

Subs: Pickford, Jones, Larsson, Rodwell, N'Doye, O'Shea, Watmore.

Arsenal: Cech, Bellerin, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal, Ramsey, Elneny, Sanchez, Ozil, Iwobi, Giroud

Subs: Ospina, Gabriel, Coquelin, Wilshere, Campbell, Walcott, Welbeck