Wenger hits out at Norwich’s Bennett

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has said he is willing to accept the blame for Alexis Sanchez’s recent injury, but he defended his use of the Chilean superstar ahead of his side’s clash with Sunderland in the Premier League on Saturday.

By the time Sanchez then limped out of the contest in the second half, Arsenal had already lost Laurent Koscielny to a hip injury while Santi Cazorla was playing on despite taking a blow to his knee.

Arsenal fans in the Transfer Tavern have endured a hard month, going three Premier League games without a victory and seeing a wealth of first-team stars lost to injury problems.

The incident involved Norwich City’s Ryan Bennett, as the centre-back pushed Sanchez in the back near the touchline, sending the Chile global tumbling towards a camera and the hoardings.

Wenger replied to the question of when Alexis Sanchez, who was injured in the Gunners previous game against Norwich City, would be match fit.

Arsenal’s only win in five games in November came against Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League.

“But nobody suggested that he could displace his back or his hamstring”.

“I tested him before it and said, ‘If you have the slightest muscle problem tell me, I don’t play you.’ He said he had no problem at all, the tests were all positive”.

“I don’t know when they (Cazorla and Sanchez) come back”.

‘First of all it’s unsafe to have a camera there.

“The guy said, “look it’s a clear case, it’s a rupture of the external knee ligament”. [Kieran] Gibbs is available again for the weekend”, Wenger said. Guidance to clubs is that camera positions should be 2.25 metres from the field of play where possible. You try to master all the scientific aspects but there are as well some irrational factors in injuries sometimes.

“I have to wait until we have a complete assessment from the specialist”.

“We will make a decision on Saturday on Koscielny and Walcott, they could both make the squad”.

“For example, Cazorla and Coquelin are traumatic injuries”. We are in a job where you have to be 100 per cent and you must feel confident in your body.

“I will not take that gamble, ” he added.