Jack Wilshere Injury Reportedly Sparks Arsenal Fury Toward England

Arsenal have been left furious by England manager Roy Hodgson's decision to play Jack Wilshere in both international fixtures over the past week, with the midfielder picking up an ankle injury while away from his club.

According to the Mirror's John Cross, among others, Arsenal were left shocked at the decision to ignore a request for Wilshere to feature in only one of the two games.

The Daily Mail's Sami Mokbel and Laurie Whitwell also carried the story, reporting:

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The decision to play Wilshere on Tuesday night angered Arsenal because Arsene Wenger had requested his midfielder play in only one of the two internationals. 

But having started against Chile on Friday night, completing 71 minutes, Wilshere then came on as a 64th-minute substitute as England chased the game against Germany. He took a hefty knock on his ankle, leaving Arsenal stunned that their plea was ignored.

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While it is easy to feel sympathy with Arsenal's plight, given that the young midfielder returned early, it is difficult to accuse Hodgson of overusing a player who featured in under 100 minutes of two fixtures.

The former Fulham boss rested Wilshere towards the end of the clash with Chile and only brought him on after over an hour of the fixture with Germany, giving the Arsenal man plenty of time on the sidelines.

As England manager, though, he has to have the ability to use players in both matches—at least in some capacity—or it would be nigh-on impossible to make substitutions with just a 23-man squad.

There have been debates regarding Wilshere's international selection before, with Metro's Massimo Marioni reporting earlier this year that Wenger was furious Hodgson had overused his young star. Wilshere had picked up an injury just days after an England friendly.

Hodgson, though, should not be lambasted for playing any fit player in an England shirt. He faces a difficult enough task on most occasions, with many individuals withdrawing, and should have the same right as a club manager to determine whether a player is fit to play.

It is tough on Arsenal, but it is a situation all of their rivals also have to deal with at some time or another.

If they truly feel Wilshere has been "overused" in playing 100 minutes over a 10-day period, perhaps it would be advisable to look at their own management of the star and whether they also are giving him enough recovery time.

Hodgson and England, too often, are expected to work miracles without a full set of tools at their disposal.