Arsene Wenger has made it clear that he will not rest Alexis Sanchez despite admitting, the Chilean has a hamstring problem and also confirmed Arsenal will sign a top attacker in January.
Alexis Sanchez, who featured the full 90 minutes of Arsenal’s Champions League victory over Dinamo Zagreb on Tuesday, complained of a hamstring problem for the past few days.
But with packed up fixtures, Gunners boss doesn’t want to rest his star performer, even if it might risk further injury to the Chilean. Wenger revealed: “I will assess that later. It might not be the right time to rest him. He had a little hamstring alarm and I have to assess that Friday or latest Saturday. I take information from the medial people, those who know him and treat him every day.
We look at his overall recovery, when there are alarming signs you want to make the right decisions.”
Fourth placed in the Premier League table, Arsenal will be up against Norwich on Saturday.
But It is not all going negative for Arsenal on the injury list, as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain might return at Carrow Road.
Wenger told in a press conference, “Everyone who played Tuesday is available. Oxlade-Chambelain could be available. “He has another big hurdle to get across today and hopefully he can be successful.
“Maybe Oxlade-Chambelainshould be back in the squad [for Sunday]. Theo Walcott not for Sunday, he goes through a few steps.”
Not only updates on the injury front, Arsene Wenger also confirmed, he wants to make a top signing in January transfer window. The absence of in-form Francis Coquelin in central midfield for minimum three months has forced the Frenchman to think about his holding midfield options, while Arsenal is focussing on loan along with possible permanent signings.
Wenger has a reputation for being reluctant to spend big in transfer markets but now admits that he had no such idea what Black Friday was and clarified, to him definition of “bargain” was always linked with strict quality.
“We are in a position where we want to do something,” he said. “If I find the right quality I will do something. Who doesn’t love a bargain? What is for us a bargain is to buy top quality as only top quality strengthens our squad. Patrick Vieira cost £2.5 million and was a top bargain, first of all because he was a top quality player. We spent £40 million on Ozil and I still consider it a bargain because we got a top quality player.
“Mesut is not only a provider now; he likes to get on the end of things. What he has added is the runs into the box. He played before like he was not too obsessed with scoring, now he has a more balance between giving and producing.”