The dismissal of Jack Wilshere during stoppage time in yesterday's 2-1 Barclays Premier League victory for the Gunners brought the hot topic of reckless challenges to the fore again.

While McLeish accepts there was no malice in Wilshere's mistimed, studs-up tackle on Birmingham goalscorer Nikola Zigic, the Blues boss dismissed suggestions Arsene Wenger's side were a soft touch.

"The Arsenal players can look after themselves," McLeish said. "The Fabregas' and Eboue's of this world, they are strong.

"You don't play at the top level without having a bit of steel in you.

"Murphy says he got a punch in the face. Whether it was deliberate, I don't know.

"He's got stitches. I saw the wound when he came off the pitch. I don't know who did it."

McLeish hopes Wilshere's red card will help show how easy it is for players to be injured by simply mistimed challenges which hold no malice.

"This overreaction to tackles puzzles me because it's still going to happen. You are still going to get the occasional stray tackle," McLeish said.

"Everybody's got to understand Jack is not a dirty player, but even the best can mistime tackles. Zigic is lucky. He could have had his leg shattered similar to Eduardo.

"Hopefully it will help everyone understand when people are jumping on the bandwagon. I can tell when it's a bad one, a dirty tackle.

"I don't think the game is as dirty as it used to be. In my day the centre-forward would try and break your leg, their studs would fly into your ankles.

"I have had tackles like that which have put me out of the game for six weeks.

"Most of them were elbows in the face which were rife in those days, I have got stitches all over my head, but in those days you gave as good as you got."

McLeish felt the decision to award Arsenal a penalty, from which Samir Nasri equalised just before half-time, changed the game.

Defender Scott Dann was on the floor when he stuck out a boot and appeared to just clip Marouane Chamakh's trailing leg, with referee Martin Atkinson pointing to the spot even though the Moroccan was already on his way down when the minimal contact was made.

Dann told BBC Sport: "The referee has got a tough decision to make, but I think the lad knows himself that he has conned the ref, and I definitely did not touch him."