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Arsene Wenger was impressed with the physical condition of Alexis Sanchez on his return to training at Arsenal this week, but warned it won’t be enough for him to make a surprise early return.
Sanchez was always expected to miss Sunday’s opener against West Ham United, having missed Arsenal’s pre-season schedule after returning to his home country for the Copa America.
In spite of visa issues delaying his return to London Sanchez is back and training ahead of a likely return against either Crystal Palace or Liverpool.
As ever with the hard-working Chilean forward Sanchez’s commitment to his fitness has impressed Wenger.
Discussing last month’s videos of the forward training on the beach in Chile Wenger said: “Alex without running around is not Alex, you know. You can’t imagine him lying on the beach somewhere and not moving!
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“He came back in good fitness shape so that is quite positive, but I am not surprised by that because I can’t imagine him lying around for four weeks and doing nothing. That wouldn’t be him.”
However Sanchez’s fitness will not be risked for the visit of Slaven Bilic’s side and he will join Tomas Rosicky and Danny Welbeck, who is “not too far away”, on the sidelines.
“Alexis is back in training but I don’t think he will be involved on Sunday, it is a bit early maybe,” Wenger added. “We have to decide that at the end of the week, but I don’t think he will be involved.
“We have Welbeck on a progressive recovery and Rosicky on a progressive recovery.”
