Lukas Podolski has leapt to the defence of Mesut Ozil, claiming his former Arsenal and Germany teammate has been "kicked out" at the Emirates.
Gunners boss Mikel Arteta has left Ozil out of the squads for the Premier League and the Europa League, and the 32-year-old has not featured since early March.
The midfielder enjoyed a spell with the first team after Arteta was appointed Arsenal boss in December last year, but relations between the pair have soured.
Podolski insists Ozil's exile is "not okay", criticising the Gunners over their lack of loyalty to a player who has made over 250 appearances and helped them win three FA Cups.
“I want to know the background, but I generally think with a player who is now in his sixth or seventh year with the club, to kick him completely out of the squad that’s not okay,” Podolski told German outlet BILD .
“You don’t do something like that, and I don’t know if something happened in the background or not but even if he’s done something, you don’t do it.
Do you agree with Podolski's criticism of Arsenal's treatment of Ozil? Have your say here.
“I don’t know, of course, if there is something going on in the background or not but even if there is something like that you don’t do it, mainly so you can keep his class on the pitch.”
Podolski spent one-and-a-half seasons alongside Ozil after the latter was signed from Real Madrid for £42million in 2013 - then a club-record fee for Arsenal.
During a glittering season, the duo helped end Arsenal's nine-year trophy drought with success in the 2014 FA Cup before winning the World Cup with Germany in the same summer.
However, Podolski grew frustrated at his lack of game time during the following campaign and was loaned to Inter Milan before a permanent move to Galatasaray in the summer of 2015.
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