Mesut Ozil has fallen seriously down the pecking order this season – so much so that the playmaker has only played one Premier League game this season.
The club tried hard to offload him during the summer but failed to find a buyer and they are expected to try again in January.
But recently Mesut Ozil had come out to claim that he has no intentions of leaving and will honour his contract with Arsenal.
And so it was apt that reporters asked Unai Emery if the German was going to start for Arsenal when they travel to Bramall Lane on Monday.
While the Gunners boss did not outrightly say that Mesut Ozil would be warming the benches but he gave a clear impression that the playmaker will not be making into the first XI anytime soon.
The manager told Arsenal.com: “With Mesut, this year started in a difficult [way] for him. In pre-season, he worked well and was playing matches, but then he had the problems with Sead and it stopped.
“After that problem, he was sick one week and then he lost a lot of training to continue working and [finding] his feet.
“But the last two or three weeks, he’s improved with us in training and I think he’s feeling good.
“I didn’t [promise] him that he’d play because I want to make sure he’s ready and is available in training, and also giving us every day a good feeling in training, then he can play. My idea is to use every player and he is one in the squad. He has very big skills, the quality we will need in the next matches.
“I am happy now with how he’s improving and training every day. He is one player more in the squad.
“When I said that[on saying other players deserved to play more than Ozil], it’s because at that moment may be physically, maybe also with more rhythm, it depends on each match what we need.
“Other players were in front of him at this moment. Now, I am telling you I am feeling better with him every day in training and he is another possibility in the squad now to play and to help us.”
