Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger says Alexis Sanchez is in good shape after his international exploits.

Sanchez helped Chile secure Copa America glory earlier this summer and had been expected to miss the first few weeks of the new campaign as a result, having only returned to training earlier this week.

Arsenal face West Ham in their first Premier League game of the new season on Sunday and Wenger played down Sanchez’s chances of being involved, but he doesn’t think his star forward needs a significant break despite his hectic summer.

“He came back in surprisingly good shape,” he told the club’s official website.

“I will see [when he is ready to play]. It is about my decision. Will he not be involved at all on Sunday? I don’t know yet. It depends a little bit on what I see [in training] and who will be available.

“Alexis understands perfectly well. He is one of the players who played the World Cup [in 2014], came back here and played the whole season without a break, goes to the Copa America and basically cannot start the season.

“At some stage you need to give these players a rest or they get serious injuries.”

Sanchez managed 25 goals in all competitions for the Gunners last season as he was crowned the club’s Player of the Season.

Arsenal are 1.30 to claim all three points when they host the Hammers, while West Ham can be backed at 12.00 and a draw is 6.00.