Xhaka ‘intelligent enough’ to learn from red card, says Wenger

Arsene Wenger has labelled Granit Xhaka’s red-card offence “just a late tackle” and feels the player will learn from his mistake.

Xhaka was given a straight red card in the second half of the 3-2 win over Swansea on Saturday after cynically chopping down Modou Barrow.

The Swansea man would have been away but the offence, which Wenger claimed was worthy of a “dark yellow”,  was not especially violent and there were at least three players between Barrow and the Arsenal goal, so when the referee Jon Moss dismissed Xhaka it took the majority of people by suprise.

It was Xhaka’s eighth red card since 2014 and he is set to miss three matches, but Wenger defended his disciplinary record.

“We are not responsible for the red cards he got somewhere else,” said Wenger ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League clash with Ludogorets.

“He made a foul that could have got him a yellow card. It was not meant to hurt anybody. It was just a late tackle.

“I feel he is intelligent enough to analyse that as well.”

Wenger confirmed the squad would be similar to the squad that faced Swansea.

“There are no [new] injuries,” said Wenger, who also confiemed that Aaron Ramsey and Olivier Giroud are “close” to making their comebacks.