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The 31-year-old hasn’t featured since football got back underway, but is apparently unavailable with a back injury
Mikel Arteta kept his cards close to his chest when asked about Mesut Ozil’s future at Arsenal on Sunday.
The Germany international was once again missing from the Gunners squad as they lost 2-1 away at north London rivals Tottenham to drop down to ninth in the Premier League.
Ozil hasn’t made a single appearance since football resumed in June, making the squad only twice before being left out entirely with a mysterious back problem.
“He is still in the same positions he was last week or two weeks ago and we said we will manage everything internally,” Arteta said when asked about Ozil’s future.
“I have nothing to say.”
Arteta has been praised for his no-nonsense attitude with the likes of Ozil and Matteo Guendouzi in recent weeks, insisting that players need to ‘get on the boat’ if they wish to remain at the club.
The Spaniard recently said that there would always be a place for a player of Ozil’s quality at the Emirates Stadium, suggesting he could yet have a future at the club.
Questions remain around the Gunners’ defenders, with another defensive error costing them against Spurs.
Sead Kolasinac’s mistake allowed Heung-min Son to equalise soon after Alexandre Lacazette’s stunning opener.
After the game, Arteta was asked if such inconsistency could allow Rob Holding a chance to return to the side and impress. But, after a recent unbeaten run, he didn’t seem overly concerned.
“Sometimes it’s the position, sometimes it’s the momentum of the players, when we don’t concede in three or four games in a row everything is really positive,” Arteta explained.
“Obviously when you concede two goals like today… [people ask] why are we not playing someone else?
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“Rob has done really well when we’ve demanded him to play and he will be ready to play when we demand him to do so I’m sure.”
Sunday’s defeat put another nail in the coffin of any lingering European hopes Arsenal were still clinging onto.
Level on points with 10th-placed Burnley with three games to play, things aren’t getting any easier as they host champions Liverpool on Wednesday, before their FA Cup semi-final clash with Manchester City.
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