Arsene Wenger today defended Kolo Toure over his suspension for a failed drugs test by insisting the former Arsenal player took his wife's diet pills by mistake.
The 29-year-old tested positive for a specified substance after Manchester City's derby match at United last month and has been suspended by the club "pending the outcome of the legal process".
Toure has until Wednesday to decide if he wants a B sample to be tested which could potentially clear his name, otherwise he will face a lengthy disciplinary procedure.
The defender is facing a possible punishment ranging from a warning to a two-year global ban but Wenger, who managed Toure for seven years at Arsenal after signing him in 2002, believes he is not a drugs cheat.
"It is a complete surprise because I had Kolo Toure here for years, I brought him here," said Wenger.
"He is a boy who has a clean life, very honest living, always at home, a family man and I do not suspect him at all to have taken drugs to enhance his performances. I just think it is a mistake by forgetting to think, 'Can I take that?'
"He wants to control his weight a little bit because that's where he has some problems and he took the product off his wife. Never trust your wife! That is what he was caught [doing].
"I think it is a mistake. He was not cautious enough. I don't think there's a desire there to do something wrong and hide it."
Wenger believes there is no drugs problem in English football and praised his Arsenal squad in their off-field conduct. He said: "I must say I'm not concerned. At our club we have little problems with any boys 20-25 years old. But overall they behave remarkably well and I am proud to be their manager.
"I believe if you take 500 young bankers and 500 young journalists between 20 and 30 years old you will find as much, if not much more. The problem is that we are in the public eye and if any small things happen, it's in the newspapers. You have to deal with that but I don't think there is a deep problem in English football on the attitude."
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