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Arsenal's Wilshere rules out changing style to avoid injury

(Reuters) - Arsenal's Jack Wilshere is not going to change his playing style even if it results in more injuries, the combative midfielder has said.

Known for his creative passing and solid defending that also provokes tackles, Wilshere made his return from an 11-month spell on the sidelines in Sunday's goalless Premier League draw with Sunderland.

Having made his Arsenal debut aged 16, the injury-plagued 24-year-old has only once played more than 25 Premier League games in a season.

"All my injuries have been impact injuries and I have been a little bit unfortunate at times," he told the club website (www.arsenal.com).

"When I'm on the ball, I have to get close to the defender, which is going to cause him to attempt to tackle me or mistime it as we have seen in the past. That is part of my game. I don't think there is anything I can do differently.

"Maybe I should pass it a little bit more or a little bit quicker, but as soon as I get back on the ball and there is an opportunity for me to run at someone, that is what I want to do. I don't think I can change."

Arsene Wenger's men, who are fourth in the table, will look to take a step towards cementing their place in next season's Champions League when they host third-from-bottom Norwich City at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

(Reporting by Shravanth Vijayakumar in Bengaluru; editing by Amlan Chakraborty)