Arsene Wenger has revealed the club will be without Alexis Sanchez for the start of the 17/18 Premier League season, casting further doubts about his Arsenal future.

The forward has joined up with the squad for pre-season training later than most following a busy summer with Chile in the Confederations Cups, and has now further delayed his return to action with the team after picking up an abdominal strain.

Sanchez has been heavily rumoured to be leaving the Emirates this summer, having only 12 months left to run on his current contract. His latest injury won’t have done the odds on him staying any favours, having only just recovered from the flu and now being out for further time with a strain.

“Sanchez will not be available,” Wenger confirmed.

“He had a little abdominal strain that he caught on Sunday morning in training. He had the scan two days ago. He’s out for I don’t know. It is for two weeks or one more week, but he will not be available.”

Asked about Sanchez’s state of mind, Wenger said: “He is focused. When you have treatment on the medical bench, it’s not easy. 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.”

But Wenger stood firm on his tough stance about Sanchez staying, re-outlining the fact he has no intention of selling the forward.

“We are not open to any offers. When a player goes into the final year of their contract, we will try to extend the contract as there’s no reason we shouldn’t do. But we are not there yet.”
[Quotes via Telegraph]