Jack Wilshere
Arsene Wenger wants to involve the influential Wilshere in the final few matches of the season as the Gunners battle for a Champions League spot. Reuters

Arsenal are organising several friendly matches for their reserve team, with a view to ease Jack Wilshere back into competitive football, according to Daily Mail.

The midfielder has missed almost the whole of the season with ankle and heel injuries but is now finally believed to be close to making a return to Arsenal's first team.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger reportedly wants to involve the influential Wilshere in the final few matches of the season as the Gunners battle for a Champions League spot for next season.

However, with only a couple of games left in the reserve team's fixtures list, Wenger is now planning to arrange closed-door games for his youth side, to allow the 20 year old midfielder to regain match fitness.

Wilshere suffered a kick to his joints while playing for England in the 2-2 draw against Switzerland at Wembley in June 2011 and aggravated the injury during Arsenal's pre-season match against New York Red Bulls in the Emirates Cup.

The injury, reported to be stress bone fracture, ruled Wilshere out for around six months. The player was poised to make a return to the first team around mid-February but his recovery was hampered by a few set-backs suffered in training, during the end of January, which once again left him and the club frustrated with a long-term injury.

However, fortunately for both the Gunners and the national team, the player seems to have made steady progress and appears to be close to regaining full fitness.

Wilshere has already established himself as a key player for his club and country in a short span of time and former England manager Fabio Capello had identified the midfielder as key to England's Euro 2012 ambitions.