Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has insisted that he did not force Alexis Sanchez to play through an injury against Manchester United at the weekend.
The 27-year-old suffered a hamstring problem during the first week of the international break with Chile, but he was deemed fit enough to feature in their World Cup qualifier against Uruguay, scoring twice in a 3-1 victory.
Prior to Arsenal's clash against United, Wenger said that he would make a late call on Sanchez's fitness, and in the end, the attacker played the full 90 minutes of Saturday's 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.
Ahead of Wednesday's Champions League group game against Paris Saint-Germain, Wenger rejected suggestions that he forced Sanchez to play.
"He wore a bandage before the game because of tightness in his hamstring but he was checked before the game," the Frenchman told reporters. "I follow the medical staff and the player's advice, then make a decision.
"I have never demanded anyone to be injected to play. The suggestions we push Sanchez to play are completely wrong."
The manager is mulling over whether to give the Chile international a winter break in order to prevent burnout.
Danielle Joynson
