Bubbly Sanchez is the new Ian Wright, says Wenger

ARSENE WENGER was noting the similarities between Alexis Sanchez and former Arsenal star Ian Wright, when he highlighted one key difference. ‘ He is quieter than Ian Wright, but that is not difficult,’ the Arsenal manager joked.

Arsenal sorely missed Sanchez, their stand- out player since his £30million move from Barcelona in the summer, in the north London derby defeat by Tottenham.

But the Chilean has recovered from a hamstring injury which kept him out of the match and Wenger was assessing his condition in training yesterday before deciding whether to start him in tonight’s match against Leicester City.

Sanchez has scored 18 goals in all competitions this season — including 12 in the Barclays Premier League — and has impressed Wenger with his tireless work-rate as much as his attacking ability. ‘ He is dynamic and he does both parts of the game. He’s important in the team because of that,’ Wenger explained.

‘He wins you the ball back quickly as well. The transitions are very good from defence to attack and attack to defence.

‘He is a bit like Ian Wright. His enthusiasm is like the enthusiasm of Ian Wright.’ Like Wright, who was the joker in the pack during his time in north London in addition to being a prolific goalscorer, Sanchez is a popular member of the Arsenal dressing room.

At the moment he spends more time with the Spanishspeaking players, largely because he has only started to pick up English following his summer transfer.

But Wenger revealed he is ‘ loved by everybody’ and added: ‘He is very friendly and bubbly every day.’

The Arsenal boss was not prepared to risk Sanchez against Tottenham in case he aggravated his hamstring to the point that it ruled him out for the remainder of the season.

Wenger sees the 26-year-old as crucial to his side’s chances of finishing in the top four this season, thus qualifying for the Champions League.

‘It was difficult for him not to play against Tottenham,’ Wenger said. ‘If it was the last game of the season he would’ve played. He had a bit of a winter break now that he didn’t really want. But he got one and I think he will now be recovered and fit until the end of the season.

‘For us it is important that he has no setback as once you go into February, if you have a muscular injury and a guy has a setback, you say “bye bye” (to) the season as it is six weeks out. By the time you come back to your full level it is April and that is why we didn’t take the gamble.’