Arsenal FC: Why Jack Wilshere's Injury Is a Blessing in Disguise for the Gunners

Competition within teams can have its negatives and positives.

Consider the situation with Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere. Both young guns have immense talent and have shown it at different times in their Arsenal careers.

Both have endured different paths to their respective positions.

Ramsey was brought over from Cardiff in 2008 and made over 20 appearances in each of his first two seasons. The 2009/10 season, his second, saw him becoming a first team regular in the midfield with some fantastic play.

He is currently the captain of Wales and with years ahead of him to go, playing time is key.

Wilshere joined the Gunners in 2001 and saw a few appearances in 2008/09 and 2009/10 before a January loan deal to Bolton. This was the springboard for his magnificent 2010/11 season, which has brought him to the position he is in now.

Now he is a key component for Arsenal and the England national side.

Interestingly enough, this duo has not played at their respective bests in too many competitive games together.

One does have to wonder where Wilshere would be now if Ramsey had not suffered his injury at the end of the 2009/10 season.

If Cesc Fabregas was still at the Emirates, there is no doubt that these two players would be battling it out for the position beside him.

Consider this: During last season—Wilshere's coming out party if you will—Aaron Ramsey did not feature until very late on into the campaign after some short loan spells.

During the 2009/10 season in which Ramsey truly grew into his own and—dare I say—looked in better form and confidence than the player we see today, Wilshere was not a major factor. Does this mean that the Aaron Ramsey we see now is a lesser player than the 09/10 season version?

Not at all.

I do feel, however, that there is still that missing piece from his game now that was there then.

That missing piece, the X-factor if you will, is half the reason why fans are a little bit more critical of him this year.

Regardless, Ramsey is still a quality player for his age and will only get better as time allows it.

To say Wilshere's injury is a good thing is not to say that we do not need him, but that it provides an even greater future for Arsenal. A future that has already been touted by fans and media alike.

As the season progresses Ramsey will continue to see the same type of opportunities he has seen thus far, and the ones that helped him so much in the 2009/10 season.

Hopefully this will lead to a return of that X-factor.

Ramsey has been OK thus far, but he is not on the same level as Wilshere was last year, the same level he was at two seasons ago.

Granted, Wilshere may have had a little bit more help—a ridiculously in-form Nasri, for example—but Mikel Arteta has started brightly in an Arsenal shirt, and there is still Robin Van Persie and a energetic Gervinho.

Mikel Arteta is 29 years old, and with his track record of late, there is no certainty. 

The future is clearly a Ramsey-Wilshere duo.

The exciting and somewhat hopeful part of this is the return of Wilshere. Whenever he returns, the sooner the better, his form will be in question. If he is simply able to walk onto the field without having missed a beat, and partner with a Ramsey who is in full flow, the rest of the season, and the future itself, will be very good indeed.

There is one possible negative to all this, though.

While these two may have great respect for each other as young phenoms, situations could arise where these young men will have to compete with each other for a spot on the field.

If Arteta is able to perform at a top level for another two years or Wenger brings another midfielder into the fold, Marvin Martin or Eden Hazard, then both youngsters would be in a tough position.

Those scenarios are both good and bad for the Gunners. Of course the competition will increase the abilities of both players. But at such young ages, who is to say where there minds will be in three or four years time?

If one of the duo felt he was not getting the opportunities he deserved, if that is ever the case, then flying the coop is option No. 1.

But for now, that does not seem likely. If Wilshere's absence helps Ramsey as I hope it will, then Wenger would most likely go for the young duo to lead the way, with an experienced Arteta backing up either player.

So while Wilshere will be missed and we may wish him the best, for the time being we must believe that Aaron Ramsey will re-emerge from the shadow of his counterpart and, in turn, forge a strong core for Arsenal's future.