Press conference

Emery on having Ozil and Kolasinac back

Emery

Mesut Özil and Sead Kolasinac have been training ahead of Saturday's game against Burnley.

Unai Emery fielded a number of questions about the duo at his press conference on Thursday. Here's what he said:

on whether Ozil and Kolasinac were in training on Thursday…

They came back to training with us on Tuesday. They came to start training with us and really Mesut Ozil is a little sick, he didn’t train yesterday but he trained today with us. I think each training gives us good information and good different options with them also to take the decision if they’re going to be with us on Saturday or be in the first XI. But we are going to wait until Friday, our last training session.

on what it means to have them back in training…

Am I pleased that they’re back? Of course. For us, for me, first they’re a person and second they’re a player. We’re continuing our way with all the players who are ready with us and consistent every day in training. They came back on Tuesday and it’s the circumstance I told you. Mesut was sick yesterday but today is getting better. When they are training regularly every day and consistent every day it’s good news for us because we can choose them to help us in matches - and the first match is Saturday.

on whether Ozil and Kolasinac are mentally OK to play this weekend…

Again, I can response the same. If they are training consistently each day and they are with normal work in each training, I am going to decide and achieve the best solution in each moment. For example, it’s positive that they’re with us now.

on whether Emery would allow Ozil to leave…

But really, when we are playing our second match and our first match at home against Burnley, can you think I am thinking and losing my time if the player can leave from here? My focus and direction with the players is here with us and everybody. Each player on Saturday will be ready for Saturday.

on whether Sead and Mesut will be mentally ready to play...

Yes, 100 per cent.

on them telling him they want to play...

We are 100 per cent with them. The mentality is now on focusing on us, for training and matches.

on whether they've given him a sense of how scary it was for them...

Really, my focus is to be positive and focus on making sure the players are 100 per cent in their minds here. I want to help them to be with us, back to normality training, thinking about football. Above all, I want them to be able to focus on each training session and each match.

on whether footballers now need their own private security to stay safe...

The club is working and helping them with that. They are helping them in the training, in the preparation and being in the squad consistently for training. That will help, with their minds only focused on that training or those matches.

on how they stay safe at home...

The club is working with them to help them. At the moment they are calm with us every day.

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