Arsene Wenger: Oxlade-Chamberlain is ready to play, but not fit enough to start

Posted Monday, May 25, 2015 by squawka.com

Arsene Wenger has confirmed that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is ready to play a game, but isn’t completely recovered to start for the Gunners.

The Gunners boss was speaking after the club’s final league match of the season when Oxlade-Chamberlain came off the bench for the final 14 minutes of the season.

That little cameo during Sunday’s 4-1 win over West Bromwich Albion was his first taste of action in the league since the 1st of March.

Injury problems have meant that the 21-year-old has hardly featured in the second half of the season and he made 23 appearances overall in the league and played the full 90 minutes just six times.

The box-to-box star will no doubt be hoping to be in line for a place in the FA Cup final on May 30, but the boss believes he is not quite ready just yet.

Wenger on @Alex_OxChambo: "He's not completely ready to start a game but he can play. One more week will help him."— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) May 24, 2015

While Oxlade-Chamberlain may have struggled with injuries in the Premier League this season he was probably the Gunners best player in yet another disappointing Champions League campaign scoring twice and registering two assists in seven appearances, showing the obvious quality that he possesses.

A start in the Cup final seems unlikely as it will be risky proposition for both club and player given his lack of playing time but he can at least expect a place on the bench.

The midfielder was also left out of Roy Hodgson’s England squad for the upcoming internationals but he will be hoping that he will get a last chance to play his way into the national side next term.