Wenger: Foreign policy not damaging

"There are other teams with many foreign players, not just Arsenal. There is Liverpool, Chelsea and also Bolton."

Wenger pointed out that Arsenal invest heavily in their youth development scheme and added: "We do a lot of good work for English football, we spend between £3 million and £4m every year on the academy of young players. And the majority of those in the academy are either English, British or Irish.

"It is not for a lack of investment on our part that there were no players from England in our squad on Monday.

"We are producing young players just at the moment who are not British. It is the way of modern life. I accept it produces fear but sport, and football especially, is always in advance of normal life. What we see in football now we will see in everyday life in 2020.

"We played on Monday with an English spirit and an English positive attitude. That is for me more important than to know where the players come from. I can understand it was a shock for people.

"If you have one, or nobody, who is English in the team - I can see how that is more shocking to people. But if you have one or two players who are English, it is not that big a difference."

Mourinho disagreed with Wenger's league of nations approach. He said: "You can do it without [English players] and the best proof of that is the success of Arsenal but, especially as a foreign manager, I feel responsible for the English national team, the English players.

"We have quite a good number of English players and I believe in home players."

Meanwhile Mourinho looks certain to make wholesale changes to his team for Sunday's FA Cup fifth round tie at Newcastle.

Mourinho, who believes English clubs competing in Europe face a distinct disadvantage because of the TV-driven domestic fixture congestion, has to replace the suspended John Terry but will rest other players as he looks forward to next Wednesaday's Champions League clash against Barcelona followed by Sunday's Carling Cup Final.