The Gunners boss does not want one of his key players risked.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has told BeIN Sports, as quoted by the Daily Star, that he does not want to see France boss Didier Deschamps risk Laurent Koscielny’s fitness by playing the defender in the international friendly against Ivory Coast.
Koscielny has been a key player for the Gunners so far this season, missing just one Premier League game and playing in all four of the club’s Champions League group-stage fixtures.
The 31-year-old fitness has been an issue in previous years but so far this term he has largely managed to avoid any issues despite his hectic schedule.
The centre-back has already played four times in World Cup qualifiers for France since the start of the domestic season, most recently in the win over Sweden on Friday.
Whilst Wenger understands that Deschamps would want Koscielny in his side as often as possible, as Wenger himself does, he stressed to BeIN Sports that he would be unhappy to see the defender selected for the meaningless friendly against Ivory Coast on Tuesday.
Wenger said, via the Daily Star: “When there is a competitive fixture, I never intervene. I understand that he would play against Sweden.
“But I would struggle to understand if he played the entire match against the Ivory Coast, when we are playing Manchester United and PSG after.”
It would certainly be a devastating blow were Koscielny to pick up an injury, and Wenger will not be alone in the Arsenal camp in hoping to see their leader at the back rested by his country.
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