Arsene Wenger backs Danny Welbeck to make England's World Cup squad - so long as he can keep fit

​Welbeck is due to return to the Arsenal team for Thursday night’s Europa League group stage game at FC Koln after yet another frustrating absence

The 26-year-old has endured an injury nightmare (Getty)

Arsene Wenger has backed Danny Welbeck to make the England squad for the World Cup in Russia, if he can just stay fit.

Welbeck is due to return to the Arsenal team for tomorrow night’s Europa League group stage game at FC Koln after yet another frustrating absence.

Welbeck has played just once in the last two months, limping off after an hour against Watford on 14 October, and he has not played since. He has not played a full 90 minutes since August.

But Wenger is still optimistic about Welbeck’s season and has even backed the 26-year-old to make it into the 23-man squad for the World Cup in June 2018. He pointed to the example of Emmanuel Petit, who was only a fringe player for France during the 1997-98 season before becoming a key man at the World Cup that year, even scoring in the final.

“Danny has the potential to go,” Wenger said at his press conference at Cologne/Bonn airport on Wednesday evening. “If he is fit, he will go, I am convinced of that.”

“I have long experience,” Wenger explained. “I have known players who’ve won the World Cup who in November had no chance to go to the World Cup. I remember Petit in 1998, he made it in March, April, May, and was one of main players after the World Cup.”

Welbeck missed Euro 2016 with a knee ligament injury sustained just before the tournament, an injury that ruined the 2016-17 season for him as well as wrecking Roy Hodgson’s plans for France.

Welbeck has long had problems with his fitness (Arsenal FC)

But Wenger knows that for Welbeck to make it back into Gareth Southgate’s plans, he has to start playing regularly for Arsenal again, and then international football will take care of itself. “The best way to go to the World Cup is not to think ‘I have to prepare for the World Cup’, it is to do well for club and automatically you are in the national team,” Wenger explained.

“I have a player next to me [Per Mertesacker] who has over 100 caps for Germany, but he will tell you the best way to do that is to focus every day.”

The key for Welbeck is to get back into the rhythm of playing games, something he has struggled with since joining Arsenal from Manchester United for £16million back in August 2014. First Welbeck missed nine months with a knee bruising injury, returning in February 2016 but then rupturing knee ligaments three months later. That cost him the first half of last season and he only returned in January 2017. This season he started fit before groin and hamstring injuries got in the way.

Wenger hopes to see Welbeck in Southgate's England squad (Getty) (Getty Images)

“What is most important is to have consistent presence in competition,” Wenger said. “If you’re in and out, you can’t be at your best ,it is as simple as that. Even if you cannot play every game, you have to be capable to practice every day.”

But there is no doubt that if Welbeck and get and stay fit, he is in Arsenal’s best team. His athleticism and skill gives them an extra dimension in front line. He has only made seven appearances and scored three goals this season but Wenger knows how good he can be.

“He he is a striker who has a top physical quality, good movement, and a team player as well,” Wenger said. “He can score goals, he can provide, he can play through the middle, on the flanks. And on top of that he’s loved by everybody in the squad, a fantastic guy. He has gone through very difficult periods in last three years, and personally I’m very happy that he’s back.”