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Ozil disappointed after being axed from Arsenal's Premier League squad

RESENDING WITH UPDATED SCRIPT

SHOWS:

LONDON COLNEY, ENGLAND, UK (FILE - SEPTEMBER 12, 2013) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

1. MESUT OZIL WALKING OUT ONTO TRAINING GROUND AT HIS UNVEILING AS ARSENAL'S THEN-RECORD SIGNING HAVING JOINED FROM REAL MADRID

2. OZIL POSING WITH ARSENAL SHIRT

3. OZIL SHIRT

4. OZIL POSING FOR PHOTOS WITH SHIRT AND THEN-MANAGER ARSENE WENGER

KALLANG, SINGAPORE (FILE - JULY 27, 2018) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

5. VARIOUS OF OZIL DURING RONDO DRILL

BAKU, AZERBAIJAN (FILE - MAY 28, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

6. OZIL STANDING AMONG TEAMMATES

COBHAM, ENGLAND, UK (FILE) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

7. PETR CECH WALKING OUT FOR CHELSEA TRAINING

COBHAM, ENGLAND, UK (FILE) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

8. CECH WARMING UP

BAKU, AZERBAIJAN (FILE - MAY 28, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

9. VARIOUS OF CECH DURING ARSENAL TRAINING AHEAD OF HIS LAST MATCH WITH THE CLUB, THE EUROPA LEAGUE FINAL WHICH THEY LOST TO CHELSEA

STORY: Arsenal's out-of-favour playmaker Mesut Ozil said his loyalty to the north London club was not reciprocated after he was left out of their Premier League squad for the 2020-21 season.

Ozil, who is under contract with Arsenal until June 2021 and earns a reported 350,000 pounds ($456,645) per week, has not played for manager Mikel Arteta's side this season.

The German playmaker, who last played for the Gunners in March, was also axed from their Europa League squad earlier this month.

"I'm really deeply disappointed by the fact that I have not been registered for the Premier League season for the time being," he said in a statement on Wednesday (October 21).

Ozil said he was happy with his performance and the team's development under manager Arteta before the COVID-19 shutdown in March, but things changed after the season resumed in June with the 33-year-old not playing any games since.

Arteta had said last month that Arsenal are "evolving" and that Ozil would find it difficult to find a place in the squad, casting doubts over his future at the club.

Elsewhere, Chelsea named Petr Cech, who played for the club from 2004-2015 and currently works as technical advisor at Stamford Bridge, as emergency goalkeeper cover amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cech had retired as a player in May 2019 after playing for Arsenal in their Europa League final defeat by Chelsea.

(Production: Stefan Haskins)