Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger calls ex-Sunderland defender Dan Smith 'an assassin'

Former Sunderland player Dan Smith is guilty of ‘assassinating’ Abou Diaby’s career, according to Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.

After rumours of yet another injury setback for Diaby, Wenger was asked about his stop-start career. The Frenchman made it clear that he attaches no blame to his often unavailable midfielder.

He told beIN Sports: said: “He is a player that I have an enormous amount of respect for him.

“Every time he comes back, he has to start from zero with another injury. He was a victim of competition.

“A footballer needs his ankle. He was destroyed by a bad tackle at Sunderland 6 or 7 years ago which altered his ankle.

“He is not a fragile player. He was the victim of an assassin’s tackle that went unpunished.”