Former Chile coach: 'Alexis Sanchez looking fatter than normal'

By Daniel Lewis, Senior Reporter | 04 September 2017

Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez is out of shape and playing like a different player, according to former Chile Under-20s boss Jose Sulantay.

Former Chile Under-20s boss Jose Sulantay has criticised Alexis Sanchez for 'looking out of shape' during the heavy World Cup qualifying defeat to Paraguay.

The Arsenal forward, who saw a deadline-day move to Manchester City collapse last week, made just his second appearance of the season as La Roja went down 3-0 in Macul on Thursday night.

Sanchez has had to contend with a niggling injury in the opening weeks of the season and, having failed to inspire his national team in a tight qualifying group, Sulantay has accused the 28-year-old of failing to stay on top of his fitness.

"I saw him gone, I saw him out of physical shape, totally," he told La Cuarta. "He's fatter than normal. Without his spark, he never left that Paraguayan defence behind. He never made a diagonal run, it was something else.

"It was not Alexis. This can bring you problems later, the statements of wanting to leave. The team-mates must have felt nothing for him."

Sanchez's club boss Arsene Wenger has stressed that the forward was "not very close to leaving" on deadline day, despite City's bid reportedly being accepted.