Unai Emery insists that he hasn't made a decision over Mesut Özil's place in Arsenal's starting lineup for when they face Tottenham in the north London derby on Saturday.
The 30-year-old playmaker put in a man of the match display against Bournemouth in midweek as the Gunners secured a 5-1 win over Eddie Howe's side, with Özil getting a goal and assists to take his combined tally for the season up to eight.
But Emery hasn't confirmed if the former Real Madrid star will keep his place in Arsenal's midfield, insisting that Özil's role in the current team depends on their tactics going into a match.
"For us, we are doing a plan for a lot of matches and each match is different, whether it’s home or away, the opposition and how we are in each moment," Emery said, quoted by the club's official website.
"The most important thing is whether each player can be OK [for the game]. Then we decide to play. With this, we’ll decide whether Mesut will play [on Saturday].
"I want to watch every player play in all the matches against the big teams, against all the teams."
Özil has been in and out of the Arsenal team throughout this season, missing large chunks of the campaign due to apparent clashes with Emery.
The club's head coach has played down a rift with the German midfielder, however, insisting that Özil's's absences have only ever been down to injuries.
"The first thing is that he had injuries. Sometimes he’s had a bad back and then he’s sick. That’s the reason," Emery added.
"I spoke with him and I’ve spoken to you, telling you about when he can be consistent and available to do training, to take the rhythm and the confidence to be able to play matches. That’s better for us."
Source :
90min
