Arsenal have reportedly told Chile that they want Alexis Sanchez to return to London after he suffered an injury scare this week.
However, the problem is that Chile coach Juan Antonio Pizzi has insisted that the influential forward will remain with the squad in the hope that he’ll be able to take part in their upcoming World Cup qualifiers.
As reported by The Daily Mail, Arsene Wenger’s feelings on the matter are simple, as he wants Sanchez to come back immediately and receive treatment on the calf injury that he sustained in training which has ruled him out of Chile’s clash with Colombia on Friday.
It’s added in the report that Sanchez is being assessed by the Chile medical staff and they have insisted that the injury isn’t serious, although unsurprisingly Arsenal are keen to have a closer look at the problem themselves in order to determine whether or not he should still be there.
Given that the former Udinese and Barcelona man has scored eight goals and provided seven assists in just 15 appearances already this season, it’s understandable why the Gunners want him to return if there is even a slight risk of him aggravating the problem.
However, as noted by The Daily Star, Pizzi has stated that Sanchez will stay with the group as he believes it’s important for morale and confidence to have him around.
“Sanchez is recovering and will continue with La Roja,” he said. “He is very important, but we are working to find ways to replace him. Not having Alexis is a reality to face, but we rely on the entire group.”
Ultimately, Wenger would ideally want to see Sanchez skip the World Cup qualifier against Uruguay next week and return to England in order to receive further treatment.
That’s with a view of ensuring that the Arsenal forward is available for selection and fully fit to face Manchester United on November 19 in a crunch clash for the Gunners as they hope to pass another major test of their title credentials this season.
Club managers are always desperate to see their key players return from international duty unscathed, but it appears as though Arsenal and Chile have a problem on their hands.