Arsenal star Alexis Sanchez is desperate to play as soon as possible despite manager Arsene Wenger‘s plans to hold him back for the first few weeks of the season, reports the Daily Mirror.
The 26-year-old played in the Copa America this summer, helping Chile to win the competition for the first time while hosting. He even scored the winning penalty against Argentina in the final. While this is a great accomplishment, it does leave a danger of burnout in the coming domestic season.
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This could be an important factor in whether the Gunners are able to challenge Chelsea for the Premier League title due to the player’s importance to the side. During his debut campaign the forward scored 16 goals, and they will be hoping for a similar impact second time round. The former Barcelona man became known for his willingness to run himself in to the ground for his team though, and this could be his downfall.
As a result his manager has ruled him out of the opening weekend of league fixtures and possibly the two weeks after. However, the player himself still sees the opener against West Ham as a realistic target. Whoever wins out in this battle could be a major factor in whether the title ends up at the Emirates Stadium com next May.