Jack Wilshere suffered ligament damage; possible surgery could sideline him 3 to 4 months

Jack Wilshere appears to be on the verge of yet another long road to recovery after suffering a serious ankle injury over the weekend.

Reports emerged Wednesday suggesting the English midfielder could require surgery after manager Arsene Wenger confirmed Wilshere suffered ligament damage in his left ankle.

Surgery would likely keep Wilshere out three-to-four months, according to The Telegraph.

A meeting with a specialist is still required to determine the severity of the injury and to confirm if surgery is necessary. Wilshere is expected to be assessed over the next few days.

“It does not look good,” Wenger said ahead of his team's Champions League match against Borussia Dortmund. “There is no bone damage but there is ligament damage.

"It is just the extension of how much it is which we should know next week. It is so sad because he just came back and had found his mobility. I hope it will not be surgery, just in a boot, but it will be a few weeks.”

Wilshere suffered the injury during a match against Manchester United on Saturday when defender Paddy McNair's tackle caused the Arsenal player's ankle to bend awkwardly.

While Wenger doesn't believe McNair made the tackle with the intent of injuring Wilshere, he concludes that inexperience from the 19-year-old played a role in the foul.

“I don’t think it was a tackle with the desire to hurt," he said. "I think he went for the ball, but it was a late tackle, a tackle which a young player can do. It was a bad foul.”