EVERYTHING IS PERFECT WITH ALEXIS SANCHEZ SAYS WENGER

Arsenal  coach Arsene Wenger has debunked reports of a fall-out with Alexis Sanchez as "completely false" and insisted the player was only dropped against Liverpool for tactical reasons.

Wenger said on Monday that he has a "normal" relationship with Sanchez, who shook hands with the Arsenal boss at the start of a training session at London Colney ahead of Tuesday's Champions League round-of-16 second leg tie against Bayern Munich.But when asked to clarify the situation on Monday, Wenger said: "I'm not aware [of a bust-up]. Nothing happened. Nothing at all."

He added that the reports were "completely false. But I understand that you have to fill the newspapers and we respect that. When you don't win the games it's not always down to real stories. We have to accept that."

And he stuck to his explanation that he chose to start Olivier Giroud and Danny Welbeck at Anfield because he wanted a more direct approach and better aerial targets. Arsenal lost 3-1 after trailing 2-0 at half-time, with Sanchez coming on after the break and setting up a goal for Welbeck.

"I explained after the game at Liverpool that I decided to go with a more direct option in the game and that's what happened," Wenger said at his news conference. "That was the unique reason for my decision. As for the rest, his attitude, he's a committed player and sometimes has excessive behaviours, but you have that many times in history in many squads."Sanchez, for his part, posted a message on Instagram together with a photo of himself celebrating at the Emirates.

"The true warrior fights not because he hates the ones in front of him, but because he loves those behind him," Sanchez wrote. "Let's go Gunners. The only failure is not trying."

Wenger would not say whether Sanchez would start against Bayern -- when Arsenal have to overturn a 5-1 deficit from the first leg -- but said Mesut Ozil will not be in the squad despite taking part in training on Monday. Ozil missed the Liverpool game with an illness and Wenger said he's not yet match fit.

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  7 likese reported bust-up had increased speculation that Sanchez will leave the Emirates this summer, as he has yet to sign a contract extension. But Wenger insisted that the forward's future is still in the club's hands.lexis Sanchez has 15 months on his contract. So next season whether he'll be here or not will depend completely on Arsenal Football Club. Not anybody else," Wenger said.

Captain Per Mertesacker, who took part in the news conference but is not expected to start on Tuesday, also dismissed questions about Sanchez and the relationship between the Chile international and his teammates.

"I don't understand the question, honestly I don't," Mertesacker said. "It's not about individual players ... All these questions about one player are very distracting to our team and what it's about tomorrow. We have a game to face tomorrow which is really important to our team, and not to one individual player."

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DRAW WAS BECAUSE OF LOST CHANCES SAYS ROONEY

Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney said his side had been left frustrated after they were held 1-1 by out-of-form Bournemouth at Old Trafford on Saturday.
United had 20 shots in the game, seven on target, and although Marcos Rojo opening the scoring they were pegged back when Josh King struck from the penalty spot shortly before the break.
Rooney told Sky Sports: "Yes, it is two points dropped. I think we played really well in the first half, had chances that we didn't take and then Bournemouth got the equaliser.
"In the second half we dominated the game again but couldn't get the goal.
"But we have to keep going, keep fighting and try to put it right in our next league game.
"We did create a lot of chances -- the keeper made some good saves, but with the chances we had we have to score more goals."

Friend belatedly realised that Surman had already been booked and showed him a red card, but there was no further punishment for either Ibrahimovic -- already in the book for dissent after the penalty -- or Mings.
Rooney said: "I don't think he [the referee] has seen Mings stamp on Zlatan's head -- I was right there. It's wrong.
"Everyone likes to go in for tackle in the game but to try and stamp on a player's head is wrong -- there's no place for it. I'm sure there will be punishment."

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MING JUMPED INTO MY ELBOW SAYS IBRAHIMOVIC

Sweden legendary Manchester United forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic denied deliberately elbowing Tyrone Mings in the 1-1 draw at Old Trafford, saying the Bournemouth defender "jumped into my elbow."
Ibrahimovic -- who saw a second-half penalty saved by Artur Boruc as United failed to make the most of a series of chances -- clashed with Mings at the end of the first half.

Mings slid in on Wayne Rooney and then stamped on Ibrahimovic, who appeared to elbow the defender in the face at a corner seconds later. Mings has denied that he intentionally stamped on the striker.
Both avoided red cards from referee Kevin Friend, with Ibrahimovic already in the book for dissent after the decision to award the penalty from which Bournemouth had levelled.
But the United man told the BBC: "Listen, what happens on the field stays on the field.
"I'm not someone who attacks someone off the field.
"You have the TV, you can see the images. I jump up and jump high and he jumps into my elbow."

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THIEVES INVADES JOHN TERRY MANSION

Burglars targeted John Terry's home while he was reportedly on a family skiing holiday , The Sun has reported.
The raiders are said to have escaped with valuables after forcing their way into the property in Surrey last weekend.
The report said the break-in happened while the 36-year-old was on a skiing break with relatives.
A source told The Sun: "It's a horrifying incident for any family to go through, and John and Toni have been very shaken by this."
A spokesman for Surrey Police said: "We can confirm that a burglary took place at a property in Oxshott overnight on Feb. 25-26."

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GOAL SCORING WILL MAKE MY GAME GREAT SAYS MOSES

Nigeria international and chelsea wing back Victor Moses has said he wants to start scoring more goals for Chelsea after signing a two-year contract extension last week.
Moses, who has three goals in 25 games for the Premier League leaders this season, said he felt he was in the finest run of his career.
The wing-back told Chelsea's official website: "I think this is the best football I've played, and to be doing it at a big club like Chelsea makes it mean even more.
"I just want to keep learning more and keep improving. Every game I play I feel more comfortable and have more belief in myself.
"I'm pleased to be scoring more goals this season -- but I think there are still more I could get."
Moses, 26, spent a year on loan at West Ham, who Chelsea play on Monday, and was praised by their manager Slaven Bilic.
Speaking ahead of the meeting at the London Stadium, Bilic said: "He is playing in a position that is not basically his ideal position -- or wasn't his ideal position -- and that makes his achievement even greater."

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REAL MADRID WANT TO DO THINGS BETTER SAYS ZIDANE

Real madrid tactician zinedine zidane reveals that Cristiano Ronaldo is unlikely to play at Eibar on Saturday with Real Madrid hoping to bring a halt to their slide in La Liga that has seen Barcelona overtake them in the standings.
Ronaldo, 32, missed Friday´s training session through injury and Marca reports FIFA's World Player of the Year will miss the encounter in Ipurua.
Real coach Zinedine Zidane said of Ronaldo in Friday's news conference: "He has a recurring problem and that is why he has not trained with us today. Every game is important, but the most important thing is for the player to be well that is why we will see what we do with Cristiano."
With Gareth Bale and Alvaro Morata suspended this weekend, Ronaldo's absence would be a significant blow for Real.
He has scored four goals in his team's last three league games, including a brace in Wednesday's 3-3 come-from-behind draw with Las Palmas.
Wales international Bale has been handed a two-match ban after he was shown his first red card in La Liga, the second in his career, against Las Palmas.
Zidane said: "I have 24 players and my message has always been the same since I began to coach here: all the players are important. I'm not going to change that.
"If we want to win La Liga, we cannot give away many points. But playing every three days, we need to have a rotation."
Barcelona leapfrogged Real into first place this week but Zidane's side have a game in hand.
"We are only thinking about how we can do things better," Zidane said. "There is a lot of negativity surrounding the team and the club, but that is always going to happen and we know that." Real have won one of their last three league games and needed another comeback against Las Palmas on Wednesday to earn a point.
Zidane's side had previously come from two goals down to win 3-2 win at Villarreal last week.
"Right now the results are not what we expected but the important thing is to give 100 percent," Zidane said.
"We need to play a good game in Ipurua. As with every game we know the challenges that we have, it´s a difficult encounter. We depend on ourselves."
Eibar are punching above their weight this season and are seventh in La Liga with 39 points from 25 games.
The Basque team coached by Jose Luis Mendilibar has won four of their last six games and lost three league encounters at home this season.
Real, who visit the San Paolo stadium to face Napoli on March 7 in their Champions League round-of-16 second leg after the trip to Eibar, are without injured defenders Raphael Varane and Fabio Coentrao.
Real players observed a minute's silence prior to Friday's session in Valdebebas in memory of the 1958 Ballon d'Or winner Raymond Kopa.
The Frenchman, who won three European Cups while on the books of Real from 1956 until 1959 passed away on Friday at the age of 85.
"I want to express my condolences to the family of Raymond Kopa, who was one of us," Zidane said. "We are very saddened by the loss."

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DIEGO GETS FIRST BRAZIL CALL UP IN 9 YEARS

 

Flamengo playmaker Diego and Sport forward Diego Souza have received surprise calls to the Brazil squad for this month's World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Paraguay.

Both players starred in Brazil's charity match against Colombia in January and were rewarded by coach Tite with national team selections for Brazil's March 23rd and 28th matches.
Diego -- a former Santos, Porto, Wolfbsurg and Juventus player -- has received 36 caps for his country and helped the Selecao to Copa America titles in 2004 and 2007, but hadn't been called up since a 2008 friendly against Portugal.
Diego Souza -- who's made stops at Fluminense, Vasco da Gama, Benfica and Metalist among many others -- will fill an opening up front left by Gabriel Jesus, who broke his foot in Manchester City's match at Bournemouth last month.
The Diegos are among four Brazil-based players called up by Tite, and will join big names such as Neymar, Philippe Coutinho, Daniel Alves, Thiago Silva, Marcelo, Marquinhos, Willian, Casemiro and Douglas Costa in the squad.
The list also includes three players -- Gil, Renato Augusto and Paulinho -- who are based in China.
Brazil have won all eight of their matches since Tite took over last summer, and currently sit top of the CONMEBOL qualifying table with 27 points, four ahead of second-placed Uruguay, who they will visit on March 23.
The full squad:
Goalkeepers: Alisson (Roma), Weverton (Atletico-PR), Ederson (Benfica)
Centre-backs: Marquinhos and Thiago Silva (PSG), Miranda (Inter Milan), Gil (Shandong Luneng)
Full-backs: Daniel Alves (Juventus), Fagner (Corinthians), Marcelo (Real Madrid), Filipe Luis (Atletico Madrid)
Midfielders: Casemiro (Real Madrid), Fernandinho (Manchester City), Paulinho (Guangzhou Evergrande), Giuliano (Zenit), Renato Augusto (Beijing Guoan), Diego (Flamengo), Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool), Willian (Chelsea)
Forwards: Neymar (Barcelona), Douglas Costa (Bayern Munich), Roberto Firmino (Liverpool), Diego Souza (Sport)

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