Injured Wilshere out of Arsenal tour

London (AFP) – England midfielder Jack Wilshere will miss Arsenal’s forthcoming tour of Scandinavia with a knee injury, the Premier League club announced on Thursday.

Wilshere, 24, played only three times for Arsenal last season after fracturing his shin in pre-season and then made three appearances in England’s doomed Euro 2016 campaign.

Chilean forward Alexis Sanchez and Wales midfielder Aaron Ramsey both return to the squad after being given time off following their exploits at the Copa America and Euro 2016 respectively.

Arsenal play Viking of Norway in Stavanger on Friday before facing Manchester City in Gothenburg, Sweden on Sunday.

Brazilian centre-back Gabriel also returns after missing the recent tour of the United States due to tonsilitis.

But Mesut Ozil, Olivier Giroud and Laurent Koscielny will sit the trip out and return to training next week.

Arsene Wenger’s side, who finished second behind Leicester City last season, open their Premier League campaign at home to Liverpool a week on Sunday.