Morning Gooners,

Rumours started a day or two ago about Walcott and suggestion was that Arsenal had upped their offer in a new contract. £85, 000 was the reported figure, not quite the £100, 000 that he is suggested to be asking but it’s still an increase on what he was on.

Wenger has reiterated that he wants the player to stay:

My desire is to keep Theo, we do what’s needed to keep him and hopefully [as] I told you many times, we can sort this situation out very soon. Very soon is before the end of December – one way or another, that is for sure.

I don’t want to go into any details but you can believe me [that] we do the maximum we can to keep our best players.

December is not long, so fingers crossed but it does kind of suggest that it’s a case of sign or be sold in January rather than let the player get a bumper pay packet elsewhere in the summer.

Next up is England, Carl Jenkinson has turned his back on Finland for definite now, well as long as he call up for England results in him getting playing time and of course FIFA give him the all clear. Great news for our young right back who really has had an incredible footballing journey since catching the eye of  whoever it was who recommended we sign him which surely wasn’t Arsene, he and defenders don’t go together!

It’s no more than young Jenks deserves though, he’s been outstanding for us since the beginning of the season and it’s a shame he made way for the return of Sagna.

In fact, have our results gone downhill since Sagna returned? Maybe it’s not Santos’s fault after all…. Yes, I jest about the latter!

Jack Wilshere has also been given the nod by Roy Hodgson and despite most thinking playing for his country again is a tad early after his comeback, Wenger has reached some kind of agreement with the England manager.

You know what I think [about Wilshere], that it is early for him, I had Roy Hodgson on the phone, we found a good understanding and a good compromise. What helps is that he is not playing over the weekend because he is suspended, of course. He will have a little breather. Roy wants him in the group to connect the game with the players.

I don’t want to talk about that [the number of minutes Wilshere could play], Roy is in a better position to talk about that because he is the coach of the team and he can better explain how he will use the players. But it’s a friendly, of course.

The ideal solution would be [that he wasn’t involved]. It is as it is. He has played three games now, and of the three games only one [has been a] full game. 

I’m with Wenger here, it’s far too early for him to be playing.

Jack Wilshere has been talking about the Fulham game and how he’s ‘gutted’ not to be playing but then goes on to say it might not be such a bad thing as he’ll have a little break before we play Tottenham.

Well that has gone now as you can bet your life that Hodgson will play him, and not just for ten minutes at the end either.

Every time England play, those who commentate nearly always mention how good it will be to have Jack Wilshere back. I suspect the all the England fans can’t wait to see our little midfielder back either but surely this game is too early and considering it’s a friendly, what really is the point in calling him up?

Maybe it’s to keep Walcott and Jenkinson company, after all, no-one else really likes the Arsenal players do they…..

Finally, the injury update which I suspect you have all seen by now.

Oxlade-Chamberlain and Aaron Ramsey will undergo fitness tests today to determine whether they are fit enough to join the squad for tomorrows fixture. Wojciech Szczesny will play for the under-21s tonight and if all goes well, he too maybe included in tomorrow squad.

Otherwise, Gervinho, Diaby, Rosicky and Gibbs remain sidelined through injury!

That’s it for today, have a good one…