Ahead of their UEFA Europa League clash against Rapid Wien, Ainsley Maitland-Niles has voiced his and the rest of the squad's opinion on Mesut Ozil's omission from Mikel Arteta's squad.
Maitland-Niles has stated that Arsenal's players are supporting Mesut Ozil fully despite being completely exiled from Arteta's first-team plans.
The Englishman said that Ozil is still part of the team even though he has been left out of Arsenal's Europa League and Premier League squads for the 2020/21 season.
Ozil's last game for Arsenal came on March 7, and due to him being axed from the squad, he now cannot play for Arsenal until January.
On Wednesday, Arteta stated that the midfielder has not done enough on a daily basis to merit a spot in the squad.
Previously, Ozil released a statement on his social media pages criticising Arsenal for the lack of loyalty that they have shown towards him, after eight seasons of dedication to the club.
The players are opting to not take part in the spat between Ozil and the club, choosing to solely focus on the Europa League opener against Rapid Wien.
During a news conference, Maitland-Niles said "The club's behind Mesut, we're a team, that's always going to be the case until Mesut decides to make his decision and what he wants to do".
He added that "Ultimately, we're focused on the game for now. Then when we get back to the training ground we can talk about if he wants to go by as a team."
"We're focused on the game as of now. And when we do finish the game and the three points are secured, then we can focus on going back to the training ground and solving the situation as a team."
When specifically asked about the decision to omit Ozil from the squad, the Englishman just stated that it's "something you're going to have to ask the club".
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