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Manuel Pellegrini has revealed a big development on the fitness of Jack Wilshere, telling West Ham's official site that the midfielder will be back to full fitness soon.

The former Arsenal midfielder has played for the club just five times this season.

What’s the word?

Wilshere played the opening four games of the club’s season as the Hammers lost to Liverpool, AFC Bournemouth, Arsenal and Wolverhampton Wanderers before sustaining an ankle injury.

A return against Newcastle United was short-lived as he played five minutes before being forced to undergo ankle surgery.

That game took place in January and he has been on the sidelines thereafter, missing 19 Premier League encounters.

And Pellegrini, speaking before the Hammers’ encounter with Manchester United, has confirmed that the 27-year-old will soon be back in the squad.

He told reporters: “Jack Wilshere is almost ready.

“He played one game for the U23s last week and hopefully he’ll play another one.

“Next week, I think that he’ll be working 100 per cent with our squad.”

Leave him out

Wilshere should be nowhere near West Ham’s starting XI.

He may well be fit but he has shown in his appearances for the club that his legs may well have gone.

Wilshere is not a player who has the ability to change games for the Hammers and Pellegrini should resist the urge to throw the ex-Arsenal star into the team.

The fact of the matter, at the end of the day, is that he cannot be trusted to stay fit.

And throwing Wilshere back into the fold is a lose-lose situation; at worst, he sustains another injury, at best, he has only a middling impact on a team that is already struggling for consistency.