Per Mertesacker and Gabriel are both facing long spells on the sidelines, while fellow centre-back Laurent Koscielny has not played in pre-season after reaching the final of Euro 2016 with France.

But Wenger would also not be drawn into revealing if the club were closing in on a deal to bring in Valencia's Shkodran Mustafi, with the 24-year-old Germany international linked with a move to the Emirates, or on Ozil and Sanchez.

Asked if he had an update on the contract negotiations of Sanchez and club-record signing Ozil, he replied: "No. We keep that internal. We make progress always, but it is not always a quick process. They still have two years contract and there is no urgency as well.

"They (Arsenal fans) have no reason to be concerned. At the moment we have priorities, and most of the time contract extensions are done outside the win because it gives you a bit more time and focus on that."

Asked about the potential signing of defender Mustafi, Wenger simply said: "I cannot tell you."