Merson's 'injection' claim is dismissed by Wenger

Arsene Wenger hit back yesterday at Paul Merson after the former Arsenal player claimed he had been injected with a "yellow liquid" while at the club. Wenger said he would never pressure players into taking injections, and that Merson's claims were financially motivated.

The Arsenal manager questioned Merson's knowledge of medical procedures. "Paul Merson stayed with me for four months," he said, "so I think it is better you ask people who have played for five, six, seven, eight, nine years here how we behave medically."

Denying that he had ever asked a player to take an injection, Wenger said he would quit if it were proved otherwise. "If you find one player who I asked to take an injection to play one game," he insisted, "no matter how big the game was, I would resign tomorrow morning."

"Do you really think that Paul Merson is convinced that we dope our players?," Wenger asked. "So what was his target? To sell the book."