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Arsenal boss voices concern after key man picks up injury

By on November 11, 2016

alexis sanchez arsenal

Arsene Wenger has voiced his concern over the fitness of Alexis Sanchez with Chile ready to risk him in their World Cup qualifier next week despite the Arsenal star nursing a hamstring injury.

Alexis linked-up with the Chile national team on Monday and suffered the problem in training earlier this week with the Chilean FA describing the injury as a ‘low-grade’ muscle injury.

Sanchez was left back in Santiago to undergo treatment as the rest of the squad flew-out to Colombia for their World Cup qualifier last night with the Chilean medical team closely monitoring his situation.

The national team manager suggested on Wednesday that they would do everything they could to get Sanchez fit to play against Uruguay on Tuesday while the player himself has also hinted that he’d be back for their next World Cup qualifier.

Understandably, Wenger is concerned over the health of his star man and is demanding that Arsenal have access to Sanchez’s scan results so they can take a closer look at how serious the injury is and prevent Chile making a ‘suicidal’ decision to play him.

As Arsene rightly says, if Chile push Alexis to start next week while carrying a hamstring injury, they risk making the problem a lot worse and we could end up losing the 27-year-old for a number of months.

The boss is quoted as saying by the Telegraph.

“I got a text last night (to say) that he has a hamstring injury. The team from Chile has travelled without him and they kept him to try and get him fit to play Uruguay for the second game on Tuesday night.

“I believe that with a hamstring injury we have to get access for our medical staff to the MRI scan to see what grade it is, how bad it is and make absolutely sure they don’t make any suicidal decision that could harm his future for two or three months.

“That is absolutely important. It’s a grey area between the national team and the club team and of course they look at their own results which I can understand but we have to preserve the health of Alexis Sanchez. He always wants to play and that’s where it is a more sensitive case because he’s always ready to play even when injured.”

Reports in Chile have suggested there is a 9 millimeter tear in Sanchez’s hamstring so it would indeed be crazy for them to play him on Tuesday night, but we all know what Alexis is like and he’ll be itching to play.

I’m sure Arsenal will be in constant contact with Sanchez and the Chile camp over the coming days but whatever way you look at it, I can’t see Sanchez starting against Manchester United next Saturday.

Let’s say he starts for Chile, then it would be insane for Arsenal to put him through another 90 minutes just three days later. Sanchez is only due to arrive back from South America on Thursday and we play United on Saturday lunchtime so there is fatigue to think about as well.

If Alexis is ruled out of the Chile game and sent back to Arsenal for treatment, then the injury must be severe enough to keep him out of the United game only a few days later and depending on the severity, he could also be a doubt to take on PSG the following week.

It’s certainly a worrying situation and while it will be a huge blow not to have Sanchez at Old Trafford, it would be devastating to lose him for even longer so let’s hope common sense prevails and the lad is given time to heal properly.