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Wenger expects Fabregas to stay

The moment to end a season: Cesc Fabregas scores against Barcelona © Getty Images

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Arsene Wenger has scoffed at suggestions Cesc Fabregas has played his last game for Arsenal.

Fabregas has been ruled out for the season after picking up a broken leg against Barcelona earlier in April. The Spain midfielder has been persistently linked with a return to his native land and once again the rumour mill is in overdrive.

The 22-year-old has a contract with Arsenal that runs until 2014 and Wenger insists the club are the masters of his destiny.

"Do you want to see the length of his contract?" Wenger responded to questions about his captain's future. "Players at the end of contracts can sign where they want but, with the players who are under contract, we decide on their future.

"We are not under any financial need, we are well managed and that gives you one luxury in that you can decide about the future of your players.

"This team is on the way up and we don't work for four or five years with young players, stand up for them and let them come through and then, when they are ready to perform, sell them. That would be irresponsible.

"Some people are specialists at making players unhappy. I cannot stop them talking in Spain. But all of the players who have left here wanted to return."

Fabregas has long been linked with a return to his boyhood club Barcelona and current Camp Nou superstar Lionel Messi expects the pull of Catalunya to bring the Arsenal man back to Spain.

"Cesc has a place for Arsenal in his heart, but he has Barcelona in his blood," Messi told the Daily Express. "He will want to win win the biggest prizes in football, and I expect him to do that at Barcelona.

"I don't exactly know when that will be, but I expect him to be my Barcelona team-mate again at some point."

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