Wenger will be without Eduardo for several months

After saying he felt Taylor should never play football again, Wenger said: "He came to see me after the game and said it was completely accidental.

"I thought about it and said if it was accidental I had to retract my comment.

"We do not want to be a club who is seen to be wanting revenge or anything. We try to play football in a fair way."

News conference: Arsene Wenger

Taylor has since received death threats and hate mail for the challenge, but Wenger refused to accept that his initial reaction had contributed to the public response.

He said: "I am responsible for what I say but I came out and retracted what I said. I didn't want to go overboard. I take that responsibility.

"But people who make death threats have to feel responsible for what they do. It is idiotic and not accepted but I do not want to be responsible for that."