Arsenal's Sanchez out of opener due to abdominal strain

Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez will miss their first two Premier League games of the season after picking up an abdominal strain in training, manager Arsene Wenger said on Wednesday. Wenger said the Chile international would miss Arsenal's home fixture against Leicester City on Friday as well as the trip to Stoke City on Aug. 19.

Arsene Wenger has ruled Alexis Sanchez out of Arsenal's Premier League opener against Leicester on Friday: https://t.co/GcUJSQojTd pic.twitter.com/VZ4cT8TbTk

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) August 9, 2017

Sanchez, who was Arsenal's top scorer in the Premier League with 24 goals last season, has been linked with a move to Paris St Germain in the French media, but Wenger has been adamant that he would stay at the Emirates Stadium.

We're likely to be without @Alexis_Sanchez for our first two games of the @premierleague season - and this is whyhttps://t.co/VenRAt9V1R— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) August 9, 2017

"He had a little abdominal strain that he caught on Sunday morning in training and he had a scan two days ago," Wenger told a news conference. "He is out for a while, could be two weeks but he will not be available for Stoke." Sanchez, whose current deal expires in 2018, did not play in Arsenal's victory over Chelsea in the Community Shield on Sunday.