Mesut Ozil has confirmed he is "fit and ready" to play for Arsenal but has doubts over his inclusion in the squad for his side's Premier League opener against Fulham on Saturday.
The Gunners playmaker has been frozen out of manager Mikel Arteta's plans as he enters the final year of his contract.
The 31-year-old did not feature for Arsenal after the coronavirus break ended last season, with back troubles partially to blame for his absence.
Ozil was also left out of Arsenal's squad for their Community Shield win over Liverpool on August 29, as he appears to be surplus to requirement for Arteta heading into 2020-21.
The situation has caused plenty of consternation at the Emirates, with the club's former defender Sol Campbell recently suggesting the playmaker needs to meet Arsenal “halfway” in a long-running “stand-off”.
Ahead of Arsenal's Premier League opener, Ozil confirmed in a Twitter Q&A that he is fit and ready to play but is in doubt over his manager's plans for the match at Craven Cottage.
"I’m fit & ready and doing my best," Ozil said. "Unfortunately it’s not in my hands to decide about the squad on the weekend. We will see!"
Ozil answered a number of other questions from fans, also stating that he'd pick Robert Pires as the "Invincibles"-era player he'd most like to play alongside.
"Really hard to pick," Ozil said. "@ThierryHenry, Dennis Bergkamp and @piresrobert7… the whole squad was fantastic … but if I have to chose just one, I would go for my good friend Robert. I admired his creativity a lot on the pitch."
Ozil also selected Carles Puyol as the best defender he has ever faced, while also calling former team-mate Sergio Ramos "one of the best defenders ever. And a great character and friend as well."
And, naturally, as a long-time Arsenal player, Ozil could not let the Q&A session end without getting a dig in at rivals Tottenham.
When asked: “If you had a choice would you rather play for Tottenham or retire?” Ozil replied: "If I don’t want to win a cup, I should go there."
