Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has revealed the reason behind his decision to remove one of the Gunners’ key stars from the 18-man squad which faced West Ham at the Emirates stadium on Sunday.

The Gunners boss surprised most fans around the world by announcing on Friday that he would be leaving the club when the season is over after 22 years in charge.

The news of Wenger’s imminent departure came only a couple of days before a London derby against West Ham at the Emirates stadium.

When the clash against the Hammers took place, one of the main surprises was of course the exclusion of Mesut Ozil from the 18-man squad.

The former Real Madrid star has endured all sorts of fitness troubles this season and after the match which ended in a 4-1 victory, Wenger explained his decision to leave the Germany international out of the team.

According to the Arsenal boss, Ozil was unavailable for selection due to illness.

“Ozil was sickness [flu] so I cannot tell you much more about that. We will have to see how he recovers tomorrow [Monday].” the Gunners manager said in his post-match interview after Sunday’s game.

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