Arsene Wenger insists Arsenal’s medical staff don’t deserve to be criticised for Jack Wilshere’s long injury lay-off.

Wilshere will be out of action for up to five months after undergoing surgery on a stress fracture in his right ankle on Monday.

The England midfielder has been sidelined with the problem since pre-season and, although he initially hoped to be back within a few weeks, he was forced to go in for the operation after it became clear that rest wasn’t helping to heal the ankle.

Wilshere had suffered the injury during a Euro 2012 qualifier against Switzerland in June and England coach Fabio Capello has angered Arsenal by claiming the club’s doctors allowed the teenager to go on holiday rather than treat him straight away.

Capello isn’t alone in his questioning of Arsenal’s medics but Wenger is adamant there was nothing wrong with the way Wilshere’s injury was managed and insists the criticism has been provoked by his side’s slow start to the season.

“It is unfair because the club’s medical staff hasn’t made any mistakes on that front,” Wenger said yesterday.

“The red colour (of Arsenal’s shirts) seems to attract a lot of criticism. When we don’t do as well as expected we get criticised. It shows we are a very popular club.

“We have to accept it.”

Although Wilshere’s rehabilitation is set to keep him sidelined until well into the second half of the season, Wenger was relieved the midfielder will be back this term because he feared worse.

Wenger spent the final few weeks of last season insisting that Wilshere should be rested in the summer, rather than playing for the England U-21s at the European Champion-ships, to avoid the 19-year-old suffering from burn-out.

He got his wish but Wilshere’s body has still been unable to cope with the strain.

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