Report: Alexis to be rested, Ramsey out longer than expected

Last night, during the nightly midnight embargo news dump, John Cross of The Mirror reported that Arsene Wenger plans on resting Alexis Sanchez. The report further stated:

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger plans to take Sanchez out of the firing line in the next few weeks to help the Chilean recharge his batteries. Wenger, already hit by a crippling injury list, fears that returning early after the Copa America in the summer will catch up with Sanchez before the end of the campaign.

Sanchez did not have a proper summer holiday or rest and Wenger is concerned one of his most important players could be vulnerable to injury.

If you're rolling your eyes at the above report, I don't blame you. We've been here before. Alexis has been in the "red zone" longer than regular Rob Lowe. While I think everyone would agree the guy needs a break, Arsene has not shown that he's capable of resting Alexis. With the club's current injury situation, I can't really blame him. I'd be shocked if Alexis was fully rested before the New Year and the (hopeful) returns of Tomas Rosicky, Jack Wilshere, and Danny Welbeck.

As for those injuries, Cross also mentions that the boss hopes that Hector Bellerin and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will be back immediately after the international break, but that Aaron Ramsey and Theo Walcott will be out for a longer period of time. This report contradicts the most recent injury update that the club gave which seemed to indicate Ramsey would be available straight after the break as well.

Arsenal fans, sadly, have developed an expectation that injuries are going to last longer than initially forecasted. This Ramsey update was so not-at-all-shocking that it was thrown into the middle of a report on a whole other matter entirely.

Here's hoping that his absence is not extended too much longer because, in reality, the only way we can start resting Sanchez, Mesut Ozil, and others who have carried a big load in recent weeks is if these injured players come back soon.