Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez will not make his comeback from injury against Sunderland in the FA Cup on Saturday, manager Arsene Wenger has confirmed.
Sanchez has been out of action since suffering a hamstring injury in the 1-1 Premier League draw with Norwich City at Carrow Road on November 30.
Wenger said in December it was “possible” Sanchez would make his return against Sunderland in their FA Cup third round tie at the Emirates Stadium.
However, the Arsenal manager has now revealed the 27-year-old will not be in contention to face Sam Allardyce’s side.
“The bad news of the week is that Alexis is not quite ready. It is a precaution because of his hamstring, and it takes a few more days. He’s not bad but he’s not ready,” Wenger told the club’s official website.
Arsenal captain Mikel Arteta, who played 45 minutes for the club’s U21 team against Blackburn Rovers on Tuesday, has returned to the first-team squad and could play some part against Sunderland.
Wenger has revealed midfielder Tomas Rosicky will return to full training next week and also confirmed Santi Cazorla and Francis Coquelin are progressing well in their recoveries from their respective knee injuries.
He added: “Nothing’s changed [from the original timescale] with Santi. It could be a bit shorter with him because he’s often quicker [to recover] than you expect him to be. Cazorla and Coquelin are doing well.”
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