Jack Wilshere to play for reserves Monday

We're starting to get close, folks. About a week after returning to full training after about a year away, Jack Wilshere is set to get his first actual game action - albeit for the Under-21s reserve team, but at this point, I'm not going to be too picky.

Arsene Wenger said today that Wilshere is slated to play for the reserves Monday at West Brom, and will likely get quite a run-out.

He will play on Monday, he will play his first game with the under-21s, maybe an hour or something like that.

I would bet that means Wilshere will start, as that would definitely make the logistics of the whole thing much easier. Wenger was also eager to slow everyone's roll a bit, in expecting him to be a world-beater out the gate, but is clearly very happy for the young man.

It's another important step but he has not played for 14 months so we have to calm your impatience a little bit. It is fantastic for him. When you are at that age and are out for such a long time, it is absolutely massive to take [for] him and Frimpong...It is massive for them to come back and for us as well.

Wenger was also adamant that he is not ready for full competitive football, and definitely not for international games, saying England's two matches next month will be "will be too early for him."

The match doesn't appear to be available on Arsenal Player live, unfortunately, but should the club decide to make it available after this news, rest assured that the club's servers will be stressed.