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Arsenal midfielder Santi Cazorla could be out until March with injury, adding

Both players suffered injuries in the 1-1 draw with Norwich last weekend, with Sanchez taken off in the second half and Cazorla playing through a knee problem.

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Wenger could welcome centre-back Laurent Koscielny into his matchday squad for Saturday’s visit of Sunderland but will be without the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Santi Cazorla and Francis Coquelin.

But Santi Cazorla is likely to be out until March with a knee injury, one of a long list of Arsenal absentees.

Questions had been asked in advance of the trip to Norfolk about the amount of football Sanchez had played without a break, with Wenger revealing that the Chile forward had felt his hamstring during the 3-0 Champions League victory over Dinamo Zagreb. We have no more injuries than anyone else.

Bennett appeared to push Sanchez, who later sustained a hamstring injury which has sidelined him for around four weeks, into the Carrow Road advertising hoardings whilst the Chilean was in mid-air.

Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce on his relationship with Wenger: “Those early days were years and years ago and it’s been much more amicable, our meetings, not just on match days, but also off the field when we have bumped into each other”.

“Nobody suggests Alexis should have displaced his hamstring or back when he was pushed into the cameras on the side of the pitch”.

“If you want to blame me with the injuries, I have no problem with it”. “I gave the answer last week in the press conference that we will be of course open and look outside”.

Cazorla has already seen a specialist in London but has now flown to Spain to seek advice from Ramon Cugat, the Barcelona-based knee surgeon. “You lose confidence in your body”.

Wenger said: “Yes, (it was like the Debuchy challenge)”.

“At the moment, I’m more focused on responding tomorrow”, he said.

The Premier League said in a statement yesterday: “Player safety is of paramount importance”. Louis van Gaal will have to reinvent his attacking midfield as Ander Herrera is also injured and will be forced to put an attacking midfield player into the striker position to compensate for Rooney’s injury.

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“You know the injury situation”.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger does not know how long Alexis Sanchez will be out with his hamstring problem