Wenger feels Van Persie could have matched Messi
Arsene Wenger believes Robin van Persie would be ranked alongside Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney had he avoided injury this season.
Van Persie scored seven goals in 11 Premier League games at the start of the season but has been out of action since November, when he damaged his ankle ligaments in a friendly for Netherlands against Italy.
Wenger has suffered a string of injuries to important players this season and, ahead of Van Persie's return against Tottenham on Wednesday night, he has suggested that the injury to his key striker may have cost Arsenal their chance of silverware this season.
"The biggest frustration was because he had started to compete as one of the best players in the world and suddenly he was out," he said in the Daily Mail. "I am convinced you would have talked about Van Persie alongside Messi, Ronaldo and Rooney. I am sure.
"He is a very important player for this club - very important for our confidence and our offensive power. He can give a final ball, score goals and is good on set-pieces.
"He is also a leader because he has a football brain and is a football thinker. He is a winner and he has matured a lot in the last three or four years.
"The sadness was that we lost him very early in the season. Nobody knows what difference he might have made. You have always that thought at the end of the season.
"You think, 'What if you had one or two points or if we had those points at Birmingham?' but you forget as well that you won games in the last seconds or minutes."
Arsenal have a game in hand on league leaders Chelsea but trail by six points.