The Germany playmaker is yet to return to the club from the World Cup but will take full part in the tour
Mesut Ozil will be included in the Arsenal team for the club’s pre-season tour of Singapore, manager Unai Emery has confirmed.
Ozil has been on holiday since Germany’s early exit from the World Cup group stage, and is yet to return to pre-season training.
But the playmaker, who recently took the Gunners’ number ten shirt, will return in time to fly out with the rest of the squad on July 22 and will take full part in their tour in the east.
Mohamed Elneny and Alex Iwobi – who were also eliminated from the World Cup at the group stage – will also join the club on their pre-season travels.
New boss Emery has already begun work with those players who did not play in this summer’s tournament in Russia.
The Gunners coasted to an 8-0 win over non-league Borehamwood in the Spaniard’s first game in charge on Saturday.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored a hat-trick and new signings Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Matteo Guendouzi were also involved.
Speaking on Monday, Emery told Arsenal Player: “All the players are the same.
“They have the same holidays. I know Iwobi, Elneny and Mesut Ozil. He’s coming with us to Singapore the first day.”
Arsenal face Emery’s former club Paris Saint-Germain and Europa League holders Atletico Madrid in Singapore as part of the International Champions Cup.
Ozil came in for fierce criticism for his underwhelming displays at the World Cup as the 2014 winners surprisingly finished bottom of their group.
The 29-year-old also saw his form and commitment to Arsenal questioned during the latter stages of last season, with former Gunners defender Martin Keown claiming Ozil was not ‘giving everything’ for the common cause.
Ozil signed a new, bumper contract at the Emirates Stadium in January when it appeared he was more likely to follow Alexis Sanchez out of the door.
Speaking on Thursday, Emery said he intends to help Ozil return to his best in the forthcoming campaign.
“We are here to help every player,” he said when asked how he will ‘fix’ Ozil’s form.
“For us Mesut is a very important player…today he is on holiday and I want him to relax good and I want, when he comes back with us, to start with a good mentality.”
