Ozil likes post criticising Arsenal boss Emery after being left out for Europa League trip to BATE Borisov
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MESUT OZIL has risked another bust-up with Unai Emery after liking a social media post criticising the Arsenal boss.
The German winger, top earner at the Emirates on £350,000-a-week, was left out of Thursday’s Europa League trip to BATE Borisov.
Ozil has only figured for 102 minutes in 2019 after falling out of with the Gunners’ Spanish manager.
After missing Saturday’s victory at Huddersfield through sickness, the 100th he has been unavailable for due to injury or illness for the club, he returned to training this week and attempted to remain upbeat despite his omission.
But the 2014 World Cup winner appeared to hit back at Emery’s latest snub after a fan commented on one of his Instagram posts.
A follower wrote: “We miss you bro. Keep fighting and stay strong. Show Emery, dumb pundits and the whole world they are wrong.”
And eagle-eyed Gooners quickly spotted Ozil’s agreement with the post message after he liked it.
Emery explained his decision to not bring the ex-Real Madrid playmaker to Belarus pre-match, saying: “We are here with the players who I think are OK to play. The players not in the squad is because [Aaron] Ramsey has not trained with us, Sokratis [Papastathopoulos] has started to train but not enough, Mesut is the same.”
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Ex-Gunners and England defender Martin Keown claims the whole situation is embarrassing as he claimed only Ozil really knows whether his fitness and health problems are true.
Keown said: “Is he injured? Is he ill? One of the things as a player is that you have to be available for selection and give consistency.
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“He hasn't been able to give either of those so he has to work to get back in to the team. That's what he has to do and what the manager wants him to do. But it's now becoming embarrassing the situation and with no Ramsey too.
“We don't know if he is really injured or not. To miss (100 matches) is quite remarkable. I would say that is questionable but only the player really knows.”
Meanwhile, Emery has been warned by another Arsenal legend that the apparently disgruntled Ozil could end up getting him the sack.
Ray Parlour, who helped the club to win three Premier League titles, said: “It’s been a little bit like PSG with Neymar. Neymar ended up getting Emery the sack.
“He lost the dressing-room and Neymar was pulling the strings there. Maybe it could be the same at Arsenal.”
And when quizzed whether Ozil will leave North London at the end of the campaign, Parlour added: “It looks like that could happen. I go back to the dilemma of what Arsenal have got. He’s on £350,000-a-week. Who is going to pay that sort of money?
“There’s got to be a time in your career, when you’re over 30 you know you’re on a slippery slope. You have to come to a decision.
“He could stick his heels in and sit out his contract, and say ‘play me when you want’. The players hold all the power.”