Unsettled Arsenal skipper Cesc Fabregas will take no part in this weekend's Emirates Cup.
Wenger confirms skipper will take no part in Emirates Cup
'Unsettled' Arsenal skipper Cesc Fabregas will take no part in this weekend's Emirates Cup.
Gunners boss Arsene Wenger confirmed at Friday afternoon's press conference ahead of the competition that his captain would not play.
Fabregas' omission comes as Barcelona are looking to bring the World Cup winner back to the Camp Nou but Arsenal remain determined to hold out for a £40million fee.
The Spanish ace has not featured in any of Arsenal's pre-season games, with the club saying he needs to work on his match fitness following a troublesome hamstring.
Confirming his continued omission, Wenger said: "He is not settled, with his injury and his situation.
"That has to be sorted out soon."
Wenger maintains he has to concentrate on those players who are fully committed to the Arsenal cause.
"There is only one deadline, it is on August 31. The other deadline is for us to get everybody focused, the players who are really committed to the club, my energy and my focus goes on them," he said.
"That is what I focus on, I cannot help the other situation, because it does not only depend on me, it depends on the players and on the other clubs."
Dilemma
It is not the first time Wenger has faced a dilemma over key men, with the likes of Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry both seeing their time at Arsenal come to a natural departure point for the good of the squad.
Whether or not the same can now be said of Fabregas, Wenger reflected: "Frankly I don't know. I don't master completely the situation - it depends on Cesc.
"He is in a moment when he thinks about it and it is a big concern.
"I always say he is torn between two loves - the club where he has been educated as a very young boy and the club where he has been educated from 16 onwards and he has been given a chance.
"I personally can understand it - but of course we want to be certain about his complete commitment."
Wenger also maintains Arsenal must always look for value for money and not just sell on the cheap for the sake of it.
"It would mean that anybody who just wants to leave, we will have to let him go and for any price," he said.
"It has to be as well that the three parties agree and that everybody is happy at the end.
"If there are only two who are happy and one is very unhappy it doesn't work.
"We have a responsibility towards our club and I have that responsibility to sell the players at a decent price, or I take money away from my club - and that is not just to please one player."
