Roy Hodgson Defies Wenger by Calling Jack Wilshere into England Squad

Jack Wilshere is set to make his England comeback in next week's friendly against Sweden.

Roy Hodgson's decision to include the youngster in the squad could stretch his relationship with Arsene Wenger.

At the end of October the Arsenal boss asked Hodgson not to call Wilshere up . The 20-year-old has played just three senior games since recovering from long-term injuries that kept him on the sidelines for 16 months.

In his last appearance, Wilshere was sent off for two yellow cards against Manchester United. He is suspended for Arsenal's home clash against Fulham and indicated the enforced break could do him some good (via Sky Sports):

It's disappointing to miss any game but, if I think about it another way, maybe it will be good for me to have a little break and come back for the Tottenham game (a week later).

It's a long season so I need to take it easy a bit but I am looking forward.

Wilshere's rest is due to be short lived. He now has to clock up significant air miles in a week that could have been spent continuing to regain his strength.

The midfielder has provided quality performances since returning to Arsenal's starting 11.

Across two appearances in the Premier League and one Champions League outing, he has completed a pass success rate of 83.1 percent. He has also contributed an average of two dribbles and two tackles per game.

Although these statistics aren't particularly amazing, Wilshere's progress is coming along at a decent pace.

He has shown excellent commitment since donning the Gunners shirt this season and is likely to play a huge role in the rest of the campaign.

The Arsenal man proved too attractive for Hodgson.  

Wilshere's red card against Manchester United may have eased his workload, but he still needs to be handled with extreme care.

Is Roy Hodgson's decision to call Jack Wilshere into the England correct? Let me know in the comments section below, and follow me on Twitter:

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All statistics in this article are courtesy of Whoscored.