Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Reuters
Reuters
Sport

Arsenal's Sanchez out of opener with abdominal strain

Britain Soccer Football - Arsenal v Chelsea - FA Cup Final - Wembley Stadium - 27/5/17 Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez celebrates scoring their first goal Action Images via Reuters / Lee Smith

(Reuters) - Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez will miss their first two Premier League games of the season after picking up an abdominal strain in training, manager Arsene Wenger said on Wednesday.

Wenger said the Chile international would miss Arsenal's home fixture against Leicester City on Friday as well as the trip to Stoke City on Aug. 19.

"He had a little abdominal strain that he caught on Sunday morning in training and he had a scan two days ago," Wenger told a news conference. "He is out for a while, could be two weeks but he will not be available for Stoke."

Sanchez, who was Arsenal's top scorer in the league with 24 goals last season, has been linked with a move to Paris St Germain in the French media, but Wenger has been adamant that he would stay at the Emirates Stadium.

When asked if Arsenal have received any bids from PSG for the 28-year-old, Wenger replied: "I cannot tell you that. We are not open to any offers anyway.

"(PSG) are looking for (Kylian) Mbappe, that’s what I read in the papers. I have had no contact with PSG."

Wenger also dismissed media reports linking Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain with rivals Chelsea.

The 23-year-old England international has struggled to secure a regular place since arriving at Arsenal six years ago, but Wenger believes the winger has the potential to become a great player.

"I think he had in his career some bad moments because he had some small injuries," the Frenchman added.

"Last year he was much more stable. Personally I think he is a hugely talented player, he's on the way up and he will continue to move up because the potential is there.

"He's very conscious of his qualities, he was not always. I believe he will be a very great player."

Wenger also confirmed goalkeeper David Ospina will stay at the club and fight for the number one shirt with Petr Cech this season.

(Reporting by Hardik Vyas in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford/Amlan Chakraborty)

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.