Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has told Mesut Ozil that he has two months to prove himself at the club.
The German World Cup-winning midfield playmaker has not started a game for the Gunners since 7 March.
Arteta left German misfit Ozil out of his Europa League squad last week, and offered no guarantees that the 32-year-old will be named in the Premier League squad next week.
The Gunners manager, whose side face a tough trip to Manchester City, also left defender Sokratis out of the European squad, and he said: “I wanted to tell them face to face before releasing the squad.
“I explained the reasons why and the numbers we had. It was really difficult for me to tell them – but this is the restriction and rules.
“They have to respect that decision and try to train the best possible way, help the team when they can. Then we will see what happens in December.”
Arteta added: “To leave players out at that level, where they know they cannot get involved, is really tough. But the decision had to be made because we have an excess of foreign players.
“It is down to us to to find ways to motivate those players. And it is about how you react to disappointments. Try to look at the overall picture, make the right decisions.”