Arsenal sprung a huge surprise when they omitted World Cup winner Mesut Ozil from their Premier League and Europa League squad list for the 2020/21 season meaning the midfielder is unlikely to feature for the club this campaign.
Ozil has rarely played for the Gunners since Arteta took charge of the club but there has been no clarity over why such a decision was made.
Arteta claims he left the 32-year-old out of his plans for footballing reasons – which the player rebuts.
“My conscience is very calm because I have been really fair,” said Arteta. “What I can say from my side is that it is just a football decision.
“My level of communication with him has been really high and we know what to expect with each other.
“My job is to get the best out of every player, to contribute to the team performance. Here I feel at the moment, today, that I have failed.”
JUST IN: Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta makes Thomas Partey promise after debut
“Everyone says he’s training well. Per Mertesacker said this publicly. I spoke with at least five team-mates who say he is training great.
“They say Mesut is one of their best players, and they cannot understand why he is left out. So it can’t be the training – if it is not the pitch, what are the footballing reasons? If you talk, you should tell the truth that the Arsenal fans deserve otherwise don’t talk at all.”
MORE TO FOLLOW