Wilshere, Sagna near returns

Arsenal pair Bacary Sagna and Jack Wilshere both played 90 minutes in a training ground friendly against Chelsea on Wednesday.

It is the first time either player has completed a game since recovering from long-term injuries.

Sagna missed much of last season while Wilshere has not played a competitive match in 17 months.

Arsene Wenger has pencilled in Arsenal’s League Cup clash with Reading on October 30 for Wilshere to make his full competitive comeback.

The England midfielder and the French full-back lined-up in an Arsenal side that also featured Andre Santos, Francis Coquelin, Andrey Arshavin, Marouane Chamakh and Emmanuel Frimpong.

Despite the presence of several first-team squad members, Arsenal lost the friendly 2-0 against a Chelsea 11 that fielded John Terry in the first half.

Sagna started in his usual right-back position before moving to centre-back in the second half, while Wilshere was fielded in an advanced midfield role.

The English midfielder was still tirelessly breaking forward in the dying moments of the game, which will be encouraging for Arsenal fans.