Arsene Wenger set for fight with FA over Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere

Arsene Wenger has put himself on a collision course with the FA after making it clear that he will oppose Jack Wilshere's inclusion in the England Under-21 team for next summer's European Championship.

Sir Trevor Brooking, the FA's director of football development, has indicated that he wants Wilshere included in Stuart Pearce's under-21 squad, but Wenger believes it is counterproductive to select players who are already senior internationals.

The Arsenal manager is also adamant that Wilshere will need a proper rest next summer if, as seems certain, he plays more than 40 games this season.

"What the English FA have to decide is whether the player is in the first team or in the under-21s," said Wenger. "I don't believe a player ever performs when he has been in a top team and comes back down to the under-21s. It is always a bad decision. It's because you feel you go down. You take any player who plays at Arsenal in the Premier League, put him down to Division One, you would be disappointed by him."

Wenger also clashed with Pearce in 2009 when Theo Walcott was selected for both teams, against his wishes. Walcott then had a horribly disjointed season with injury.

With Wilshere only establishing himself in the Arsenal first team this season, Wenger is sensitive to the impact of him then playing in a two-week tournament in June.