KEY POINTS

  • Mesut Ozil shows off on social media that he is fit to play for Arsenal
  • The German footballer has not played a single game since the season restarted
  • Ozil can provide Arsenal with help in its remaining matches

Arsenal F.C. needs all the help it can get, and Mesut Ozil can certainly give the Gunners a much-needed lift. The 31-year-old midfielder has not played since the football restart. However, it appears he is good to go and has called the attention of Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta.

On Wednesday, Ozil declared that he is healthy enough to play for the Gunners. He made the revelation on Twitter, posting a photo of himself and the message: "I A M R E A D Y#M1Ö #YaGunnersYa #teamtraining."

Arsenal is set to face Liverpool, with the Gunners hoping to bounce back from a 2-1 loss against Tottenham on Sunday. Should Ozil play, it would be his first match back since March. He played 89 minutes when Arsenal won over West Ham at the time.

The future of Ozil with the Gunners is being monitored, particularly because of his hefty weekly pay rate. The German is earning roughly $420,000 a week. His absence has raised widespread criticism, with most believing he should be out on the field helping his club.

Former Arsenal player Martin Keown believes that the Gunners should unload Ozil and pay more attention to the young players. He feels that the 31-year-old player is not working hard enough to blend in with the system of the Gunners.

"I think it’s a real shame, because he had a magnificent talent, but if you’re not prepared to work hard out of possession for the team, then you don’t get to play in the new Arsenal at the moment and that’s what Arteta is all about," he said via Stadium Astra.

Arsenal's Mesut Ozil reacts to his substitution during the English Premier League football match against Manchester City. China's state media cancelled coverage of the match because of Ozil's criticism of Beijing's treatment of its Uighur minority
Arsenal's Mesut Ozil reacts to his substitution during the English Premier League football match against Manchester City. China's state media cancelled coverage of the match because of Ozil's criticism of Beijing's treatment of its Uighur minority AFP / Ben STANSALL

Ozil has been kept out by what has been termed as a mysterious back problem. When asked about the German player's status, Arteta said the Ozil is still in the same position as last week or two weeks ago. But what was intriguing was him saying that everything will be managed internally.

As of this writing, there is no telling if Arteta will give Ozil a chance to play. The Gunners find themselves at the ninth spot in the Premier League table following that loss to HotSpur.

Looking beyond the Reds, Arsenal will face Manchester City for a place in the FA Cup final. From there, the club will try to wrap up its league campaign against Aston Villa and Watford.

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