Mesut Ozil could be in line to make his first appearance of the season on Sunday as Arsenal host Tottenham in the north London derby.
Featuring regularly for the team in pre-season as they travelled across the Atlantic for four games in the United States, the German was left out of the squad for opening game against Newcastle United over safety fears after he and Sead Kolasinac were involved in a carjacking attempt by an armed gang.
Once again absent in the 2-1 win over Burnley, Ozil missed out on the squad last Saturday at Liverpool despite the fact he had returned to training leading up to the game at Anfield.
In and out of the squad since Unai Emery's arrival last summer, the Spaniard has outlined the playmaker's role at the club amid speculation that he could potentially head to the MLS in the not too distant future.
"Mesut Ozil, it’s the same message to him that I can say to you: we need him," said the head coach at London Colney. "We need him, and him first to be consistent in training, to be available in each match.
"For example last week he wasn’t ready to play 100 per cent in Liverpool.
"This week, he is getting better with each training and I think physically he is now better. He is closer to helping us.
"We need him because he is a different player in our team.
"We have different ways to prepare one match thinking to win and different qualities with the players, different characteristics from them.
"Really, for us, we need him to be available and he can help us with his quality."
Asked about the player's absence on Merseyside last Sunday in the 3-1 defeat, Emery revealed exactly why he didn't make the trip north for the mouth-watering clash.
"Last week he was sick some days, also he lost a lot of training days with his circumstance before," he added. "Now he is training regularly and also without problems. I think this is the way with him.
"When he can train with normality, also getting fitter, I think he is closer to us to play.
"For example this week he is doing that."
