Chile boss Juan Antonio Pizzi has confirmed Alexis Sanchez will not be allowed to return to Arsenal early, despite picking up an injury on international duty.
Sanchez has already been ruled out of Chile’s World Cup qualifier with Colombia but Pizzi remains hopeful he can play against Uruguay on Tuesday.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has already blasted Chile for their “suicidal” decision, fearing his star man could miss months if he aggravates the problem.
However, Pizzi has insisted Arsenal have not demanded Sanchez return to be evaluated and treated and remains confident he could play next week.
“We obviously counted on Alexis for this match, unfortunately he suffered a small injury and can’t be considered for tomorrow’s game,” he said according to Emol.
“We don’t have the information that there’s a pressure from London for Alexis to return, Alexis has the chance to play on Tuesday.
“The medical report says about a small injury that it is best to wait to see how it evolves, so we prefer him not to travel and not to suffer from the flying hours.
“This decision was made in conversation with the medical staff, who explained that it was not good to travel because of the wear.
“He is recovering and will continue with La Roja. He is very important, but we are working to find ways to replace him.”
Pizzi’s comments seem somewhat confusing particularly as Wenger has today insisted his team need access to his MRI scans to determine his injury in order to determine how fit Sanchez is ahead of the game.