Arsene Wenger has confirmed Mesut Ozil will resume training with the rest of the Arsenal squad on Thursday despite rumours the midfielder is carrying a back injury.
Ozil posted a picture from a plane on Snapchat a few hours before the Gunners travelled to Sutton United for their FA Cup fifth round tie, prompting speculation he would be given an extended break as Arsenal do not play again until March 4.
However, Wenger revealed that Ozil took part in a session on Monday morning for those players not involved in the Sutton tie and is expected back promptly despite a brief holiday to Turkey and Germany.
“He practised in a session at London Colney [on Monday] and then we have two days off – Tuesday and Wednesday,” Wenger told Standard Sport. “We are in on Thursday and he will be in like everybody else.”
Arsenal decided against a warm-weather break despite having 12 days between fixtures due to the postponement of their Premier League fixture against Southampton, who are instead engaged in the EFL Cup Final.
Wenger is notoriously reluctant to engage in unnecessary foreign trips, having for years organised a low-key pre-season training camp in Austria before eventually bowing to commercial pressures by acquiescing to more lucrative arrangements.
Arsenal's Premier League run-in
There was, however, no appetite at any level to travel mid-season and instead it is understood the players will be given two further days off either at the end of this week or the early part of next week before building up to a vital League game at Liverpool.
