Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has challenged both Matteo Guendouzi and Mesut Ozil to show they are willing to improve in order to break back into the first-team. Ozil had been cast aside by Unai Emery during his time at the Emirates, forcing the German midfielder to train with the reserves.
Arteta quickly reinstated Ozil to the first team when he took over as manager, but the 31-year-old is yet to feature in the four games since football in England restarted last month.
Guendouzi has played since the break, but he was disciplined by the club following his actions in the defeat to Brighton.
The 21-year-old was caught on camera grabbing Brighton striker Neal Maupay by the throat.
Although he escaped retrospective punishment from the Premier League, Guendouzi has been dropped from the squad altogether in the previous two games.
It has led to speculation linking both Guendouzi and Ozil with moves away from the Emirates in the summer.
But Arteta insists there is still a place in his squad moving forward for the Arsenal duo so long as they’re “willing”.
“Everybody that I have in my squad, my job is to get the maximum out of them,” he said.
“To try to help them and support them.
“If they are willing then everybody is welcome.
“I always hope the players want to give their best.”
Speaking on Guendouzi specifically, Arteta admitted the Frenchman would inevitably go through some “bumps” as he develops.
“When Arsenal picked him to come here it’s because they could obviously see the potential and the qualities that Matteo has,” he added.
“He’s a really young player and he’s still in development.
“When you are developing, the curve is not normally so much straightforward, you have to have some bumps and you have to adapt to it.
“Then in the process, you have to find the things you’ve done right and the things you’ve done wrong, like any other player.”
