Granit Xhaka remains ‘highly regarded’ at Arsenal and the club are planning to reintegrate him into Unai Emery’s first-team squad, starting with an away match.
Xhaka has not featured for the Gunners in over a month since he clashed with his own supporters during the 2-2 draw with Premier League rivals Crystal Palace.
The shocking outburst led Emery to strip Xhaka of the captaincy, while a number of former players questioned whether the Switzerland midfielder would ever play for Arsenal again.
Xhaka has been linked with a move away from Arsenal ahead of the January transfer window but The Athletic’s David Ornstein has suggested he remains a key part of the Gunners’ plans.
In a Q&A, Ornstein said Xhaha was still ‘highly regarded’ by Arsenal, who see him as a hugely important member of the dressing room, both on and off the pitch.
It is claimed Xhaka will mark his long-awaited return ‘soon’, with Arsenal keen to reintegrate the 27-year-old into a first-team squad that is underperforming under Emery.
Arsenal will look to play Xhaka first in an away match, before he returns to the Emirates, the scene of his remarkable meltdown.
Speaking last week, Emery suggested Xhaka could feature for Arsenal in Saturday’s Premier League match with Southampton.
‘He’s feeling better and also he’s feeling his team is Arsenal now and he wants to regain the confidence of our supporters,’ Emery said.
‘Little by little, we can help him to come back and connect again with us and our supporters.
As it was, Xhaka missed the match and Arsenal stuttered to a disappointing 2-2 draw against the relegation-battlers.
The result left Arsenal, eighth in the Premier League, eight points adrift of fourth-placed Chelsea. The Gunners face Frankfurt on Thursday night.
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