Mesut Ozil and Sead Kolasinac will not be available to play for Arsenal at Newcastle United this Sunday (Watch live, 9 a.m. ET on NBCSN and online via NBCSports.com).
The Gunners have released a statement on the situation, as both players were targeted in an attack in London last month and reports state they have been singled out again over the past few days.
During the attack in north London Ozil and his wife were trapped inside his car while Bosnian international defender Kolasinac grappled with the knife-wielding attackers in the street and the Arsenal stars then escaped to a nearby restaurant.
Here’s the update Arsenal gave on Ozil and Kolasinac ahead of the trip to St James’ Park:
“Mesut Ozil and Sead Kolasinac will not be part of the squad for our opening match against Newcastle United following further security incidents which are being investigated by the police. The welfare of our players and their families is always a top priority and we have taken this decision following discussion with the players and their representatives. We are liaising with the police and are providing the players and their families with ongoing support. We look forward to welcoming the players back to the squad as son as possible. We will not be making any further comment on the matter.”