Arsenal manager Unai Emery says that Mesut Ozil must keep training on a regular basis if he wants his place back in the first team.
The German has suffered from knee and back injuries, as well as illness, this campaign and Emery wants some consistency in the midfielder’s fitness levels:
“I am looking at him in the training like we want. I know he wants. But he needs to be consistent, be available for training, for the matches.”
“Without the injuries, without being sick. Like that, I think we can see the best Mesut with us.”
Despite being available to play against both Manchester City and Chelsea in recent weeks, Ozil was an unused substitute.
It seems Emery doesn’t trust the playmaker in the big games, with his only starts in recent months coming against the likes of Cardiff, Burnley and Brighton.
Whether we’ll see Ozil start against BATE Borisov at the Emirates tonight, it remains to be seen. The midfielder did not feature in the first leg last week despite having recovered from a back problem.
The 1-0 defeat to the Belarusian side may, however, prompt a rethink from Emery with Ozil being reinstated to the starting eleven.