Alexis Sanchez ruled out for two weeks after picking up injury in Arsenal training

Contract rebel: Alexis Sanchez
Arsenal FC via Getty Images
James Olley10 August 2017

Alexis Sanchez will miss the opening two matches of Arsenal’s Premier League campaign but manager Arsene Wenger insists his absence is not linked to a possible departure from the club.

Sanchez sustained an abdominal injury in training on Sunday which rules him out of Friday’s home game against Leicester City and the trip to Stoke eight days later.

Wenger claimed Sanchez was unlikely to start the first of those matches in any case as he seeks to rebuild his match fitness after an extended break following his exertions at the Confederations Cup with Chile.

But the 28-year-old’s omission comes amid further speculation Sanchez’s future could lie elsewhere as he continues to resist Arsenal’s offer of a new contract worth £300,000-a-week including image rights.

Sanchez, who has entered the final year of his existing deal, is thought to have expressed a desire to join Manchester City while Chelsea and Paris Saint Germain are also closely monitoring the situation.

When asked whether Arsenal had received any formal offers for Sanchez, he said: “I can’t tell you that at the moment. I just think we are not open - what I said to you many times - to any offers, anyway.

“He had a little abdominal strain that he caught on Sunday morning in training, before he came to Wembley [for the Community Shield].

"He had a scan two days ago and he’s out for a while - I don’t know is it two weeks or one more week, but he will not be available.

“For us Alexis Sanchez is a loss, of course. But we have all the other players prepared in pre-season and they are all ready. It can happen in pre-season and anyway, I don’t think I would have included him on Friday night. I don’t think I would have started him.”