Alexis Sanchez is set to stay in Chile to receive treatment on his calf injury despite Arsenal asking for him to return to London.

The forward picked up a low-grade muscular injury during training with the Chile national team in Santiago and although he insists he’s fine and will be back for the match against Uruguay, this still needs to be assessed.

Although he may seem super-human at times, he isn’t. Just because Alexis wants to play doesn’t mean much because, as we know all too well, he hates not playing.

https://twitter.com/LaRoja/status/796417652382199812

According to reports, which have now been backed up with comments Arsene Wenger’s made to beINSports, Arsenal want him to come back to our facilities but it’s been confirmed that he won’t, he’s staying in Chile.

“I got a text last night (to say) that he has a hamstring injury. The team from Chile has travelled without him and they kept him to try and get him fit to play Uruguay for the second game on Tuesday night.

“I believe that with a hamstring injury. We have to get access for our medical staff to the MRI scan to see what grade it is, how bad it is and make absolutely sure they don’t make any suicidal decision that could harm his future for two or three months.

“That is absolutely important. It’s a grey area between the national team and the club team and of course they look at their own results which I can understand but we have to preserve the health of Alexis Sanchez.

“He always wants to play and that’s where it is a more sensitive case because he’s always ready to play even when injured.”

The only reason why I would see us having a problem with Alexis not returning to London for treatment and not Lucas, who we’ve allowed to return to Spain, is that the Chilean is a different player. No disrespect to Lucas but Alexis is our star man, we need him fit and I imagine we’d want to assess the damage ourselves.

The positive side, however, is that if he’s not being sent home, this does suggest that although he will miss Chile’s match against Colombia on Friday, he could still make the Uruguay as he said, which is encouraging.