Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who was in Paris on Friday night, has spoken out about the terror attacks that killed 129 people and expressed concerns over the wellbeing of defender Laurent Koscielny, who could be rested for the weekend's game against West Brom.
Wenger had been due to attend the match between France and Germany at the Stade de France on Friday, where three suicide bombers blew themselves up, but he chose to watch the game on TV at his hotel because he was running late.
He said he was "quite secure" during the attacks but said that the streets around his hotel "were empty, completely empty". He also spoke of the "huge shock" that everyone in France felt, and said that Koscielny, who was playing for France as the carnage unfolded, had been "deeply affected" by the deaths at the stadium and in central Paris.
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"He had a fantastic game against Germany. And you could see that on Tuesday night [against England] he was not himself. It affected him deeply and I didn't recognise the player I saw on Tuesday night," said Wenger, according to a report in The Guardian. "I will talk to him to see if he is completely recovered and focused.
"Today in the Premier League you don't get away with it with 80 per cent focus... What I will want from him is that he's completely committed and feels ready."
Wenger's comments about Koscielny are sure to raise questions about the state of the Premier League's many French internationals. Lee Hurley, blogging for Metro, says: "When... players go away on international duty most fans just hope they come back in one piece. This time, however, supporters will be just as concerned about their mental wellbeing as their physical condition."
With the memories of the attacks still fresh, many Premier League clubs are considering whether to play La Marseillaise before games at the weekend.
The move comes after England fans joined in with the French national anthem before the game at Wembley on Tuesday,
"It is understood a number of Premier League clubs were keen on the idea, especially those with French players in their squads," says ESPN.
Heavy security is expected at football matches this weekend, with the Premier League expected to outline the new measures.
