Mesut Ozil in the squad for today’s game against Brighton

Mesut Ozil has been included in the squad for the game against Brighton at the AmEx Stadium later today.

The German playmaker was left out of the 20-man squad for the game against Manchester City earlier this week. There has been an abundance of speculation regarding his future. He is Arsenal’s highest earner and one of the few players who did not agree to the wage cut due to the financial implications of the coronavirus. He has one year remaining on his deal and it is evident that Arsenal would like to get him off their books if the opportunity were to arise. Ozil has maintained that he plans to see out his contract with the Gunners.

Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta is believed to have told Ozil that he wasn’t sharp enough to be included in the squad for the Manchester City game according to the Daily Mail. The former Arsenal skipper made it clear to the player that he expected to see more in training. He did, however, reiterate that he views Arsenal’s number 10 as an important part of his plans for the remainder of the season.

Speaking after the Manchester City game, Arteta said that Ozil’s omission from the squad was a tactical decision. He explained that he would only play the ex-Real Madrid man when he believed he could give his best for the team. Arteta hinted that a lot had happened to Mesut Ozil in the last few weeks and that he might require more time to be ready to play. 

On the back of those comments, many believed it would be a while before we saw Ozil on the pitch again. That view has proven to be incorrect and there is every chance that we will see the German either start or come off the bench at the AmEx Stadium later today.