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Arsene Wenger on the Jose Mourinho-Eva Carneiro row: 'Football is difficult enough without unity,' says Arsenal boss on Chelsea rival

'The rules are clear', says Arsenal manager

Tom Sheen
Friday 14 August 2015 14:44 BST
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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has had his brief say on the Jose Mourinho-Eva Carneiro row.

The Chelsea manager is facing a huge amount of criticism for demoting the club doctor and first-team physio Jon Fearn for treating Eden Hazard late in the draw against Swansea, with Mourinho alleged to have used explicit language against the pair after new video emerged.

Mourinho has since demoted the pair from a large part of their duties, with the Carneiro and Fearn not likely to be on the bench for the trip to Manchester City on Sunday afternoon.

The Portuguese manager is to face the media at around 12.30pm and is expected to face strong questioning from reporters.

Wenger, was asked about the incident at his own press conference ahead of Arsenal's match with Crystal Palace and gave a brief reply.

"It's a problem inside a club," Wenger said. "It's difficult enough and if you're not united it's more difficult. Trust and unity inside a club makes a strength. That story at Chelsea, I have not followed that. I do not have great interest in what's going on.

"Secondly, the rules are clear. When the ref gives indication for the medics to come on, they can come on. After that, in this situation, I don't know. But the rules are quite clear. The referee makes the decision."

The Arsenal manager had updates on injuries with Danny Welbeck "still three weeks away", Jack Wilshere back in training - although the England midfielder still has "three to four weeks in total" before he returns - and Alexis Sanchez back and fully fit.

Wenger also had words of encouragement for goalkeeper Petr Cech, who had a league debut to forget in the Gunners' surprise 2-0 home defeat to West Ham last weekend.

"He analyses very well," the Frenchman said of the Czech. "He's a bright man and he knows that it is down to how well he responds."

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