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Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has hit back at Avram Grant, insisting that it is Chelsea would will suffer because of the departure of players for the African Nations Cup.
Earlier this week, Grant had suggested that Arsenal would suffer a dip in form and that Chelsea needed to be ready to grab the opportunity, but Wenger believes in quite the opposite.
With the African Nations Cup coming up, Chelsea will have to do without, Didier Drogba, Mikel John Obi, Salomon Kalou and Michael Essien, and the Frenchman believes the Blues will be hit hard
"I believe it will be Chelsea who suffers the most, though on the other had they can buy more can anyone else to correct that," he said.
"But losing Mikel, Essien, Drogba and Kalou, that's four main players. Nobody loses that many.
"We are just behind Chelsea and Portsmouth also - but I won't use it as an excuse if we don't win the title because I have known who we will lose since the start of the season.
"If they were injured, I wouldn't complain."
He insists, however, that this will not stop him signing Africans in the future, though the number of Africans in the squad could be something he would keep an eye on.
"When you do buy them, you have to consider how many to go for. If you lose four or five games at that time, you can't win the championship so you have to consider the balance," he added.
"You can afford to lose two maybe, but not five. It's certainly a problem you have to consider."
Earlier this week, Grant had suggested that Arsenal would suffer a dip in form and that Chelsea needed to be ready to grab the opportunity, but Wenger believes in quite the opposite.
With the African Nations Cup coming up, Chelsea will have to do without, Didier Drogba, Mikel John Obi, Salomon Kalou and Michael Essien, and the Frenchman believes the Blues will be hit hard
"I believe it will be Chelsea who suffers the most, though on the other had they can buy more can anyone else to correct that," he said.
"But losing Mikel, Essien, Drogba and Kalou, that's four main players. Nobody loses that many.
"We are just behind Chelsea and Portsmouth also - but I won't use it as an excuse if we don't win the title because I have known who we will lose since the start of the season.
"If they were injured, I wouldn't complain."
He insists, however, that this will not stop him signing Africans in the future, though the number of Africans in the squad could be something he would keep an eye on.
"When you do buy them, you have to consider how many to go for. If you lose four or five games at that time, you can't win the championship so you have to consider the balance," he added.
"You can afford to lose two maybe, but not five. It's certainly a problem you have to consider."