Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has defended his decision to start his star player Alexis Sanchez in the third round of Carabao Cup against Doncaster Rovers.

It was a strange decision from Wenger considering Sanchez didn't start against Chelsea on Sunday. However, the French manager has explained that he just wanted to get the Chilean star to full fitness.

"There is no disguised attitude on my side," explained Wenger.

"I just try to get him back to full fitness and for me the Europa League and the League Cup is important as well. So I just try to give him competition and to get him back to his best, because I gave him a long holiday and after that long holiday this year he had a real rest. He came back not really fit, it took us time to get him back and then he got injured.

"If you add the injury plus the rest time it was a bit long, but on Wednesday night you could see that he is coming back sharp now and I left him on the pitch as well for 90 minutes because I wanted him to have a real go.

"All the players are [in my plans], he's not more than another. I said I chose the team at Chelsea who can be strong on the counter-attack and fight very hard and Alexis could have played if he was 100 per cent fit at the start, but for me there's no real hierarchy.

"I have six or seven strikers, but if I go in one game with three strikers, the three who have not played will play in midweek in no matter what competition it is. That is nothing calculated."