Sanchez to miss US tour

Chile international Alexis Sanchez will miss Arsenal's tour of California with the ankle injury he sustained in the Copa America final.

Sanchez suffered the injury following a heavy Gabriel Mercado challenge in extra time of Chile's penalty shoot-out victory over Argentina.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says the 27-year-old will be rested for the friendly matches against MLS All-Stars and Chivas next week. but expects the forward to be fit for the Gunners' opening game of the Premier League season against Liverpool on 14 August.

"Alexis will not go because he had an ankle injury," Wenger told Arsenal Player.

"It is not too bad but I will leave him behind."

Defender Gabriel, and members of the Wales, Germany and France squads who made the semi-finals of Euro 2016 have also been excused the trip to the United States.

"The players who won’t make it are the players who went very far in the European Championship, such as [Aaron] Ramsey, [Mesut] Ozil, [Olivier] Giroud and [Laurent] Koscielny," Wenger continued.

"I left Gabriel behind today because he has tonsillitis and is infected. He cannot travel."

Wenger also says that managing England would have been "an honour", but that he would not have been comfortable managing any country but his native France.

The Gunners' boss was linked with the England job after Roy Hodgson's resignation in June following the Three Lions' Euro 2016 defeat to Iceland.

However, the FA confirmed the appointment of Sunderland boss Sam Allardyce on Friday on a four-year deal.

"It’s always an honour to manage a country," Wenger told Arsenal's official website.

"But I’ve said many times in the past that’s it’s more comfortable for me that a guy from the country manages their national team.

"Why? Because it represents the culture of the country and it’s the national team, so it looks more natural that it’s a candidate from the country."