WILSHERE SET FOR FA CUP START | JACK WILSHERE FANS

Bournemouth midfielder Jack Wilshere is in line to start the FA Cup quarterfinal clash with South Coast rivals Southampton this weekend. The Premier League team take the short trip to face Jack Wilshere and Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium later this week and the ex-Arsenal star could be in the starting XI for the match. Bournemouth play hosts to the Saints in the first FA Cup quarterfinals with a place in the semis at the iconic Wembley Stadium up for grabs and the Cherries would fancy their chances against a Southampton team that has lost 11 of their last 13 games in the Premier League. The run has seen the Saints drop from the top four places into a relegation battle as they are just seven points better than the drop zone ahead of the final nine league outings this season.

Ex-Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur player Jonathan Woodgate is the manager at Bournemouth till the end of the season after the club sacked Jason Tindall and he spoke about Jack Wilshere and his availability for the FA Cup clash at home to Southampton during his pre-match press conference before the league game with Welsh team Swansea City earlier this week. In the midweek game with Swansea City, Bournemouth ran out 3-0 winners at home to move within two points of the final play-off slot. Before the Swansea City game, Jonathan Woodgate said Jack Wilshere is likely to feature against Southampton due to the absence of fellow midfielder Lewis Cook and Jefferson Lerma. Colombian international Lerma is suspended for the visit of the Saints, while Cook is injured. Apart from Cook, Bournemouth have other injured players that would miss the game like Adam Smith and David Brooks, while Shane Long is ineligible against his parent club Southampton. For the Saints, big name players like Theo Walcott and Danny Ings will also miss the FA Cup clash.

Wilshere is in line to make appearance number 11 for Bournemouth when they play the Saints following his transfer as a free agent earlier this season. He was at West Ham United before the club terminated his contract in September 2020.