Football news - Arsenal's Mesut Ozil has 'chance to play' against Liverpool, says Unai Emery

The former Germany star has featured in just two games for the north London club this term, the 2-2 draw with Watford in the Premier League and the 5-0 win over Nottingham Forest in the last round of the Carabao Cup.

Emery had hinted that he had the backing of the club's hierarchy in leaving the 31-year-old out on the sidelines but says the playmaker could be welcomed back into the fold.

When asked whether he could play at Anfield, Emery said: "Yes, tomorrow. He’s in the group so he has a chance to play.

"We have had this morning a very good conversation, Mesut and Me, and I said to him I haven’t changed my idea about him. He knows what I want from him because it’s the same as last season in the first day of pre-season training when we had a conversation.

"It’s the same as one month ago and in that way, some circumstances weren’t helping us in every moment to be consistent or available to play. But I will say I think the last weeks he has progressively been training well and adding his spirit to help us.

"For example, our conversation this morning was because I wanted to listen to him about how he’s thinking now to help us and be with us tomorrow. Then if we are in the same spirit and the same idea, to play. It was a very good conversation and tomorrow he’s in the group.

"We need his quality, his skill and his consistency. We need his positive mentality and then he will help us on the pitch. That’s the next step. I think he’s done the steps before, and now I want the steps like in pre-season and one month ago to help us on the pitch."