Mikel Arteta admits he does not know the precise nature of Mesut Ozil‘s latest “back soreness”. Neither does the Arsenal boss know for sure how long his playmaker will be out for.
Nor is he aware if there is some sort of underlying reason why the £350,000-a-week star in on the 18th medical time-out of his Arsenal career after three years injury-free at Real Madrid.
Presumably, he has not even ascertained whether investigations into this latest spinal injury that has ruled Ozil out of the last two games even managed to determine that he does actually have a backbone. It’s almost as though Ozil is hardly in his thoughts at all.
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“I ask the questions and the medical staff give me the answers and there are enough answers for me,” he said.
The truth is the Arsenal manager has no time at all for players at the club who are not entirely ship-shape.
READ MORE: Mikel Arteta addresses Mesut Ozil’s future
When quizzed about a fall-out with Matteo Guendouzi last week, he said enigmatically: “If they want on the boat, they are welcome.”
Ahead of a vital week for the Gunners’ Champions League ambitions – the trip to Wolves is followed by games against Sheffield United and Tottenham – he spelled out what being “on the boat” actually means.
“Players that respect the values we want to implement, that they are 100 per cent committed to our culture, and players that are accountable every day for what we demand from them,” Arteta explained. “Players that are ready to help each other, fight for each other and enjoy playing together.
“What time he comes into training, how he comes, how ready he is, the way he communicates, the energy he brings in, the way he transmits his feelings to his team-mates, the way he reacts to certain things, the way he behaves in training, during games. There are a lot of things that we can pick up.”
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Arteta said he could think of “lots of examples” when he was just a member of the crew that he has noticed those not pulling their weight and made his feelings clear.
Now as the man responsible for steering the ship, he wants it to be a happy one.
“We all have moments when you have doubts about your future, you have difficult times and that is why the conversations have to be open,” he said. “You have to create an environment for the players so they can trust you, to express those feelings.
“If you do that you are always willing to help them, to try to guide them, to give them clarity, direction and support when they need it to feel comfortable. Make them feel they are at the right place.”
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