Arsenal: Arsene Wenger talks about Jack Wilshere's future, injury and team selection dilemma

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has dismissed speculation regarding Jack Wilshere's departure in the summer due to the midfielder's struggle to get into the starting lineup after returning from injury.

The England international has not played a game for Arsenal since sustaining an ankle injury in November, but has since returned and played a couple of U21 games for the Gunners. However, he has failed to make the cut for the first-team, which prompted reports that Manchester City were preparing a £30m ($45.4m) bid for the midfielder.

But the French manager is confident that Wilshere will remain with the club and believes that he is a big part of their future.

"I believe the success of the club in the future will depend on how well the young players educated here will do. He is part of that," Wenger said, as quoted by the Daily Mail.

Wenger revealed that Wilshere, who has been out for a long period of time, will play before the end of the season, since it takes time for a player to reach his full potential following a long-term injury.

"He is in front of where we expected to be. It takes a long time for a player to come back from injury and reach his normal level. All players are impatient to come back. But it takes time," the French manager added, as quoted by the Mirror.

Wilshere has had constant injury troubles throughout his career and that has stopped him from fulfilling the potential that everyone sees him at Arsenal and Wenger maintains that a couple of seasons without injury will surely take the Three Lions midfielder reach the heights expected of him.

"Every week he is stronger, he is getting back to the level now. This week is the first week he has been sharp again. He needs one or two years without problems to really get the full confidence and belief back and I don't see why it shouldn't happen," the Gunners boss explained.

Apart from Wilshere, compatriot Theo Walcott has also struggled to get into the first team since his return from a year out with knee ligament injury, but the manager has made it clear that it takes longer for a player to gain match fitness after returning from injury.

"Jack has been out for a while and is just coming back. Theo Walcott was out for ayear. Now, in training, he is ­starting to look the player he was before."

"The players think they are ready when they come back from injury, but it takes much longer than they think to get sharp again," he added.

Meanwhile, the manager has welcomed his team selection dilemma due to all players being fit, but maintains that all the players will not get to play regularly as it is difficult to get into a team when there are 25 top quality players.

"It is difficult to get in this team, I don't deny that. If you consider any individual case you can say you are sorry that he doesn't play," Wenger said, as quoted on Arsenal's official site.

"[Competition for places] is much more difficult. David Ospina, Hector Bellerin and Francis Coquelin have all come in, and it is very hard to pick the team at the moment as they are all top quality," he added.