Arsenal boss Unai Emery says Mesut Ozil could make a return to the side against Chelsea in the Premier League this weekend. Ozil has been left out of the team on a number of occasions this season, with Emery blaming a mixture of minor injuries and poor performances from the Germany midfielder. But the Gunners have struggled in his absence, winning just two of their last six Premier League matches and dropping six points behind Saturday’s opponent in fourth place.

Ozil was not in the squad for Arsenal’s 1-0 defeat to West Ham United last weekend, but Emery confirmed that the 30-year-old has trained consistently since and is in contention to be selected for the match at the Emirates on Saturday. “He has injuries, where sometimes he is okay, sometimes not okay,” Emery said. “I want every player to be okay for every match and he is the same. He didn’t play the last game but this Saturday he could possibly be with us. Now he is training consistently. I want every player to give consistency. This is not always easy. What is most important is how he can help us.”

The lack of playing time for Arsenal’s highest paid player has led to more speculation about a possible exit in the summer, but the player’s agent revealed earlier this month that the German playmaker wants to stay at Arsenal until at least the end of his contract in 2021 and possibly beyond. Asked if he was concerned about the prospect of Ozil leaving, Emery said: “I am not thinking about that. I am thinking about how he can help us. He has helped us sometimes this year with good performances and others not good. After these two weeks working, maybe he can be okay for us.”

Emery also remained tip-lipped about the club’s plans for the January transfer window, having previously confirmed that he is only targeting loan deals this month. “In this transfer period it is not easy to take players that can help us with better performances than we have now,” he said. “The club is working for different possibilities but it is not easy.”