Mikel Arteta hasn't ruled out the possibility of Mesut Ozil lining up in his new three at the back system despite the 31-year-old needing to be assessed before Arsenal head to Wolves.
Ozil is yet to play for the Gunners since Project Restart begun. As revealed by football.london , the 31-year-old was left out of the squad at Manchester City for tactical reasons, was on the bench for the following two games and has been out of the matchday squad twice again due to back troubles.
In that time, Arteta has switched from a flat back four to a back three with wing-backs to great effect. Whereas the defence are much more secure, the attack is slowly but surely becoming more balanced with each passing game.
Asked about whether Ozil could fit into this system, the head coach was sure that he could but was also open to changing for the needs of the players available.
“Yeah [Ozil can fit into the system], I think players can adapt to different systems and we can adapt systems to different players," he said ahead of Arsenal's trip to Wolves.
"Sometimes it’s not just about what we want or how we want to play, sometimes we have to try to fit the players that are available in the right moments in the right positions to perform and be comfortable on the pitch to do what we require them to do. There’s always a place for a player of his quality.”
Ozil isn't the only player away from the starting XI that is in focus, however, as Matteo Guendouzi is yet to feature in a matchday squad since his full time outburst at Brighton.
The 21-year-old's absence has been a topic of discussion on each matchday since but when asked with the pair will be in the squad for Wolves on Saturday [July 4], Arteta said: "That's still to be decided."
In his short time in charge of the club, the Spaniard has shown repeatedly that there is a way back into the side even when it may seem players could be headed out the door with Granit Xhaka a prime example.
When asked whether the Swiss could be an example to Guendouzi, he said: "We try to deal with every situation individually. We are trying to assess everything that has happened, trying to help the player, trying to improve him, trying to give him the right environment and he's not different to any other player."
