• Euro 2012

Oxlade can make Euro 2012 squad - Wenger

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is an England Under-21 international © Getty Images

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Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has hailed the impact made by summer signing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and is expecting the 18-year-old forward to push for a place in England's Euro 2012 squad.

Oxlade-Chamberlain joined Arsenal for a reported fee of £10 million in August, and has gone on to score twice in two starts for the Gunners, including one in the Champions League. It has been an impressive acclimatisation by the youngster, considering he was playing in League One for Southampton last season.

With Wayne Rooney ruled out of the first three matches of Euro 2012, there is a vacancy in England's attack - and Wenger suggests Oxlade-Chamberlain, already an Under-21 international, could be the man to step into the void.

"I don't rule him out of Euro 2012, and it depends on his progress," Wenger said. "I think sometimes you pick too quick in England, but you cannot rule him out because he has the basic talent. It will depend in the next five, six months how much he will adjust to the physical intensity of the game.

"I didn't expect to be as comfortable so quickly, of course he has done extremely well. He still needs more time to adapt to the intensity and level of games, but he has the quality already for top-level Premier League games."

However, Wenger did suggest that England boss Fabio Capello should select Rooney for next summer's tournament in Poland and Ukraine. "I am not in position to tell Fabio Capello what to do," he said. "If you ask my opinion, it means he should go to the European Championship. If you expect your team to win, you have to take your best players."

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