Sanchez ruled out for two weeks

Alexis Sanchez will miss the start of the Premier League season with an abdominal injury.

Having reported for pre-season late because his exertions in the Confederations Cup, the Chilean had an outside chance of making the bench for the league opener against Leicester on Saturday.

But Arsene Wenger has revealed his star forward is out through injury.

“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; two weeks or one more week?

“But he will not be available.

“I think he will not play at Stoke. For us

Alexis Sanchez is a loss, of course.

‘But I don’t think I would have included him on Friday night.

I don’t think I would have started him. He is focused. Of course when you have treatment on a medical bench, it’s not easy.’ Asked if Sanchez, who has less than a year left on his contract, could yet put pen to paper on a new deal, Wenger said: ‘Always possible.

When a player is in the final year (of their contract) we will always try to extend.

“I can’t tell you that (if there have been offers).

“We are not open to any offers anyway.” Sanchez isn’t the only injury worry for Wenger going into the season-opener against the Foxes with Mesut Ozil (ankle), Aaron Ramsey (calf) and Shkodran Mustafi (fitness) all doubts.