Arsenal news: Arsene Wenger pleads for patience over Granit Xhaka after slow start in England

Xhaka, who has started two games, has been on the fringes since joining for £35m

Granit Xhaka has come under fire from some Arsenal supporters (Getty)

Arsene Wenger has pleaded for patience over Granit Xhaka, claiming his supporters will soon see why Arsenal spent so heavily to acquire his services.

Xhaka was brought to the Premier League for £35million but the Swiss midfielder has made a slow start as he adjusts to life in England.

Xhaka, who has started two games, has been on the fringes. Instead Wenger has placed his trust in Santi Cazorla and Francis Coquelin in the engine room for the last two games.

Some fans have questioned the decision making to leave out Xhaka. He made an impact in the midweek Champions League draw against Paris Saint-Germain and that could be enough to for him to start at Hull. (SAT)

But Wenger says whether Xhaka, 23, starts in Humberside or not, he will come good and will prove in time the missing piece in Arsenal's midfield jigsaw.

"It's not about his quality at the moment – he adapts to the pace of the English game – and for me it's about pairs as well, who work together," said Wenger.

"Coquelin and Cazorla have worked well together. We lost our first game. You go a bit for stablity. They have 50 or 60 games together and that has a little impact sometimes in my decisions.

"But Xhaka will play games. Every week he's stronger and better. He will have a huge impact as a player.

"He has the stature, he has the power, he has the strength (to impose himself on a game). What we want is to use that in a very efficient wait. I personally prefer him (Xhaka) as a box-to-box player, because he has the engine, he has the power, he has the long pass.

"He also likes to come deep and distribute the game, but he has the engine to have the impact with his runs."

"We are September. We started in August so it's one month. Many players take time to get into the team. He will do that without any problem."

While Xhaka is battling to force his way back in, goalkeeper Petr Cech will certainly regain his starting spot with David Ospina, who will play in cup matches, releagted back down to the substitutes' bench.

"Cech will be back," added Wenger.

"The decision was questioned, but I can understand that. I have two world-class goalkeepers, for the day I have chosen Ospina, and he had an outstanding game.

"More and more clubs have that. You cannot keep two world-class goalkeepers who never get a game. You have to give them games, in big competitions."

Arsenal are yet to hit their straps but the Euro excursions and enforced resting of Mesut Ozil, Laurent Kocielny and Olivier Giroud would have played a part in that. A hamstring injury sustained by Aaron Ramsey, in the opening-game defeat to Liverpool, has not helped the north Londoners.

Wenger added: "We had a difficult start. After that we were very quickly under pressure, and the mental solidity of the squad is tested straight away.

"We came out of it in quite a satisfactory way, but we have already to make some ground up against teams who have started well. The mental state of the squad is good, but now we have to show the consistency with our results.

Arsenal boast a 25-match unbeaten run against newly-promoted teams. That record is on the line against Hull, who have offered caretaker Mike Phelan the job on a full-time basis.

Wenger added: "He’s experienced after working at big clubs in big competitions.

"He has done really well. He is a real football man and has given some stability to Hull.

We go into the game again with the desire to win. But they are difficult to beat."