Mesut Ozil is not in the Arsenal squad to face Sheffield United tonight.
Football.london are at Bramall Lane for the first Premier League meeting between the two sides for over a decade and it has become clear that the former Germany international has not travelled with the rest of the squad.
This is now the fourth time in a row in which the 31-year-old has not made a matchday squad under head coach Unai Emery.
Ozil's absence is unlikely to come as much of a surprise to many, but the Spanish tactician has offered him hope of a recall in the near future.
"This year started difficult for him," Emery said in his pre-match press conference last Thursday. "He worked well in pre-season and he was playing in the games. But then the problem he had along with Sead stopped him.
"After that he was sick for one week and then he lost a lot of training to keep his fitness.
"But in the last two to three weeks he's improved with us in training and I think it's good. I didn't close the possibility for him to play. Because I want him to be OK and ready with being available for training and giving us a good feeling every day. Then he can play.
"My idea is to use every player and he is one. The player can help us. He has very big skills and one quality we will need in the next matches.
"Really I am happy now how he is improving and training every day. He is one player more in that squad."
However, the clash against the Blades comes too soon for Ozil to be welcomed back into the fold.
One player who is poised to make his return to the Arsenal squad tonight is Alexandre Lacazette as it's believed he travelled with the squad and could make his first appearance since the beginning of September.
