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Fabregas did not play with a broken leg - Wenger

Arsene Wenger believes this was the moment that Cesc Fabregas broke his leg © Getty Images

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Arsene Wenger has insisted Arsenal did not send captain Cesc Fabregas out to face Barcelona with a broken leg.

Fabregas had passed a fitness test in the warm-up ahead of Wednesday night's quarter-final at Emirates Stadium, having hardly trained since a hefty challenge from Birmingham's Craig Gardner had left severe bruising to his knee and leg.

Fabregas was involved in a collision with Carles Puyol towards the end of the European tie, which saw the Barcelona captain sent off and the Arsenal skipper smash home the resulting penalty to earn a 2-2 draw

Afterwards, though, the Spain midfielder was unable to run properly, leaving the stadium on crutches and fearing the worst.

Arsenal have since confirmed Fabregas did indeed suffer a small crack in his right fibula and will need around six weeks' recovery time. Wenger stressed there had been no risks taken with Fabregas.

"There were some suggestions that he played with a broken bone - that is not true,'' said the Arsenal manager. "We had two independent doctors with X-rays who clarified the bone was perfectly okay, a bruised bone, but not broken before the [Barcelona] game.

"I am 100% confident and I checked that this morning with our medical team. There is no doubt about that. Medically we were clear. Cesc had a test on the morning of the game, he had another test on the warm-up.

"It was in my mind if he had said, 'No I feel pain', I would never force anybody to play. I asked him after the warm-up if he felt perfectly all right and he said yes. He had not a broken bone before the game started.''

Wenger claims Arsenal have pinpointed the moment at which Fabregas suffered the break.

He explained: "We believe that it is from the kick of Puyol on the penalty when he kicks him through the legs. It is on exactly the place where he got kicked against Birmingham.

"He got the crack on his bone, that means he already had a bruised bone before the game and the kick on it made it split.''

Gardner has said his challenge on Fabregas in the game between Birmingham and Arsenal was not intentional and has offered words of support for the Gunners captain.

"If Fabregas did suffer his injury in my tackle, then I would be disappointed because I would never try to hurt anyone deliberately," explained Gardner. "The referee was stood only two yards away and did not even give a free-kick.

"What surprised me was that Fabregas then went and played the full game against us. I just hope he is not out of action for too long and makes a full recovery."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.