LONDON -- Arsene Wenger is confident that Alexis Sanchez will soon be back to his best for Arsenal despite his failed deadline-day move to Manchester City, insisting that the "mentally strong" Chile international will maintain a positive mindset for the rest of the season.
Sanchez was set to be back at the club's training ground on Thursday after a disappointing international break, with Chile losing two World Cup qualifiers and the player's desired move to City falling through in the final hours of the transfer window.
Sanchez was forced to respond after being heavily criticised back home for his performance in those two losses, and his mentality was also questioned after Arsenal's 4-0 humiliation at Liverpool.
But Wenger says that both the club and Sanchez are ready to move forward.
"I have no doubt about Alexis' mind and mentality that people question," he told a news conference ahead of Saturday's game against Bournemouth. "He needs to come back to full fitness, which he was not at Liverpool. It was his first game. He suffered, he had a negative experience now with Chile but he is strong mentally and hopefully he will be back very quickly to his best."
Sanchez missed Arsenal's opening two games of the season with an abdominal injury amid continued speculation about his future.
Wenger had repeatedly insisted the forward was not for sale, but in the end it was only a failed bid for Monaco's Thomas Lemar that prevented Arsenal from accepting a £60 million offer from City for Sanchez.
However, Sanchez himself sent a positive signal by posting a photo of himself in an Arsenal shirt on Instagram, with the caption: "Back Home. FOCUS."
Wenger said during the international break that it was Lemar who turned down a move to Arsenal, but he did not want to give any details about how negotiations went down.
"My view is that it's very difficult to speak about that because Lemar is now in Monaco and has to focus on Monaco. Sanchez is here and focuses here," Wenger said, reiterating his call for the transfer window to end before the season starts.
Wenger even indicated that his own players were distracted during the Liverpool loss -- with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain ending up being sold to the Reds just days later.
"Many things happen in the last second [of the window], which I regret. That's why I believe it's important that we change that and close all that stuff before the championship starts," Wenger said. "Even in the games, you sit there before the games and even in players' minds they have no clarity. Are they in? Are they out? Are they half-in? Are they half-out? Are they tapped up in the afternoon of the game by people who want to get them out?
"It's not the way to work and it's uncomfortable. Every single manager in the league would agree that it's time to kick that out before the season starts and not continue to have players in the dressing room who are half-out and half-in."
Wenger said he wished Oxlade-Chamberlain "all the best" at Liverpool despite his decision to leave the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal accepted a deal worth up to £40m for the midfielder, who, like Sanchez and Mesut Ozil, was entering the final year of his contract.
"I am thankful for what he has done here," Wenger said. "We had to sell somebody and overall I believe that we are today in a strong financial situation as always and we have a good enough squad to compete, and sometimes the fact doesn't take away any of the quality of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
"I think he is a great player, but sometimes it opens the door for some younger players like [Reiss] Nelson or Joe Willock, or players who are in behind and get an opportunity that they wouldn't get."
Nelson, a 17-year-old attacking midfielder, is widely seen as the most exciting prospect in the Arsenal academy and had already been tipped for a first-team breakthrough this season.
Wenger also gave a positive update on Santi Cazorla, who has been sidelined for nearly a year with a troublesome foot injury.
Cazorla was left out of Arsenal's initial Premier League squad, ruling him out until January, but Wenger said the midfielder was stepping up his recovery.
"He is having his first run today, so that is quite positive. The flexibility of his ankle looks good, his mobility is good and now it's back to getting back to full fitness without having any setbacks," Wenger said. "Overall I hope that after Christmas he will be available."