Arsenal want Dutch compensation for striker injury

LONDON: Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says the club are to seek compensation from the Dutch football federation for the ankle injury striker Robin van Persie suffered during Holland's friendly against Italy on November 14, media reports said Sunday.

"We are working on this with our lawyers at the moment and we are definitely going for it," newspapers quoted Wenger as saying.

"I expect financial compensation for the damage it can make to the championship and the salary involved. It is especially frustrating to lose your players for the rest of the season in a friendly game," Wenger added.

The loss of Van Persie is a big blow to the Gunners' English Premiership title hopes as he is an integral figure in the squad.

He is expected to miss most of the rest of the season.

Wenger also said he believed the Dutch federation had misdiagnosed the injury and added that "there are a lot of things that have not been done properly after he was injured."

British media quoted the Dutch federation as saying only that it took note of Wenger's comments.