Arsenal: Robert Pires confirms Alexis Sanchez exit midway through training after a 'bad tackle'

Arsenal legend Robert Pires has confirmed Alexis Sanchez's walk-out midway through training but made it clear that it was not due to a bust-up with Arsene Wenger.

The Chilean star supposedly clashed with a player after being victim of a bad tackle during a training session. According to the Daily Mail, the former French international also revealed during his interview that Laurent Koscielny had to follow the attacker off the pitch to calm him down.

Sanchez was subsequently dropped from the Arsenal starting XI against Liverpool, which stoked talks about a falling out between the manager and the forward after a training ground row. The Frenchman denied a quarrel and stated that his relationship with the Chilean is 'normal' like with any other player. He also insisted that his decision to drop the former Barcelona forward was tactical rather than it being personal.

However, former Gunners midfielder gave an eyewitness account of the incident and confirmed that Sanchez had indeed walked out of training and his omission from the starting XI against the Reds was a sanction. Sanchez was back in training after the game and was back in the team for their game against Bayern Munich.

"I was there. There was a bad tackle on Alexis Sachez, a clash, he left the pitch,' Pires told French broadcaster beIN SPORTS on Tuesday night, as quoted by the Daily Mail.

"Fans have to understand. There was a disciplinary sanction. Nothing serious happened. I was there yesterday too; [there was] no problem," the former France international added.

The 28-year-old Chile international is Arsenal's top goal scorer this season and will enter the final year of his contract at the end of the current campaign. The club have been in constant talks with the forward to extend his deal, but are yet to reach an agreement and the recent talks of a falling out and the Gunners' recent poor form pointing towards a parting of ways.