Report: Arsenal leave Mesut Ozil and Sokratis out of Europa League squad

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Mesut Ozil and Sokratis haven’t been named in Arsenal’s 25-man squad for this season’s Europa League, according to the Daily Mail.

Ozil is the club’s highest-earning player on £350,000-a-week but has fallen way down the pecking order under Mikel Arteta.

The World Cup-winning attacking midfielder hasn’t played for the Gunners since March, playing his part in just two of Arteta’s squads since then.

Ozil, 31, has been at Arsenal since signing for the club in 2013 from Real Madrid. In 254 appearances for the Gunners, he has scored 44 goals and registered 77 assists.

This move by Arteta is the latest indication that he isn’t part of the plans at the Emirates Stadium but perhaps highlights just how difficult it is to offload him.

Sokratis is another man who has dropped down the pecking order under Arteta.

The arrival of Gabriel Magalhaes and the form of David Luiz and Rob Holding has seen him fail to make a matchday squad so far during 2020/21.

Sokratis, 32, signed for Arsenal in 2018 from Borussia Dortmund and has played 69 times, scoring six goals for the club.

Arsenal rejected an advance from PSG during the transfer window for the 90-time international but the Gunners weren’t willing to allow him to leave for free.

The Gunners have returned to the Europa League after winning the FA Cup last season, beating Chelsea in the showpiece final.

Arteta will hope Arsenal can do better than season where they lost to Olympiacos in the Last 32.

Arsenal won 1-0 in Athens but played poorly at the Emirates Stadium, going down 2-1 and crashing out on away goals.

The future for Ozil and for the £92,000-a-week Sokratis now looks increasingly bleak at the Emirates Stadium.