Wenger though stressed on the fact that Sanchez remained “focused” on playing for Arsenal this season. Sanchez, who was Arsenal’s leading scorer with 30 goals last season, may decide his future lies away from north London despite efforts from Arsene Wenger to hold onto him as Arsenal attempts to return to the Champions League.
Having played in the Confederations Cup up until the final on July 2nd, Sanchez was given an extended summer break which included missing Sunday’s Community Shield penalty win over Chelsea.
Wenger said Sanchez would be missed but admitted he would not have started the game against Leicester even if he was deemed fit to play.
“Alexis will not be available”, he said when asked about team news ahead of the visit of the Foxes.
Wenger said: “Sanchez had an abdominal strain he caught on Sunday morning before he came to Wembley”. He had a scan two days ago and he’s out for a while.
He told PA Sport at the FA and McDonald’s Community Awards: “I don’t think Sanchez is the kind of player to shut up shop”.
Wenger also said there are “plenty of uncertainties” around players like Mesut Ozil, Aaron Ramsey and Per Mertesacker for the Leicester clash – Ozil and Ramsey missed the Community Shield victory, while Mertesacker was taken off injured after sustaining a head injury.
“For us, Alexis Sanchez is a loss of course but we had all the other players prepared in pre-season already and it can happen in preparation any way”.
“It doesn’t surprise me that Arsene has reached out to him, they’re not dissimilar in terms of outlook and Wenger may have seen something of himself in Jens”.
“Jens is probably the only person I’ve met in football who is more intense than me”, he said.
“It’s a long time I didn’t speak to Nasser, because it’s certainly very busy to complete the transfer of Neymar and it’s a long time that I didn’t speak to him”.
Asked if he expected Al-Khelaifi to get in touch, Wenger replied: “No, no”.
“(PSG) are looking for (Kylian) Mbappe, that’s what I read in the papers.