Jack Wilshere and Alexis Sanchez both set to start for Arsenal in their Europa League game against Cologne
England midfielder Wilshere hasn't played for the Gunners for 13 months and last played a competitive match since April
JACK WILSHERE and Alexis Sanchez are set to both start for Arsenal against Cologne on Thursday.
Injury-jinxed midfielder Wilshere is one of several major changes made by boss Arsene Wenger for the Europa League clash.
Wilshere, 25, has not played since breaking his leg while on loan at Bournemouth last April.
Incredibly, his previous match for Arsenal was against Watford 13 months ago.
Wenger is ready to give Wilshere his Gunners lifeline after he opted to stay at the Emirates in the summer, while Sanchez will also start after going on as a substitute against the Cherries on Saturday.
It will be the Chilean’s first start since his proposed move to Manchester City fell through.
Theo Walcott, Olivier Giroud and Mathieu Debuchy could also play against Cologne, who are bottom of the Bundesliga after three defeats — including a 3-0 loss to Augsburg on Saturday.
Petr Cech, who won the competition with Chelsea, says his side must make the decision whether to take the Europa League seriously or not.
He said: "You make your decision.
“At Chelsea, we were really disappointed to have been knocked of the group stage [of the Champions League] but we decided that for the first time and the last time, hopefully, we play in the Europa League so we want to win.
“So you decide what you want to do — either you take it seriously and you go to win it and you give yourself the chance to do it or you give yourself different priorities and see how it goes.”