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Alexis Sanchez

Cape Town — Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has confirmed that star forward Alexis Sanchez will most likely miss the club’s opening two Premier League games due to injury.

Wenger revealed that the Chile international picked up an abdominal strain during training ahead of Sunday’s Community Shield win over Chelsea.

“Alexis will not be available,” the Frenchman said, as quoted by The Guardian.

“He has a little abdominal strain that he caught on Sunday morning in training, before he came to Wembley. He had a scan two days ago and he’s out for a while.

“I don’t know if it is two weeks or one more week, but he will not be available. I think he will not play at Stoke, yes.

“For us Alexis Sánchez is a loss, of course,” he added. “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.” — Sport24.