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Ozil, Kolasinac to miss Arsenal opener over security fears

Stuart MacFarlane / Arsenal FC / Getty

Mesut Ozil and Sead Kolasinac will not be part of Arsenal's matchday squad for Sunday's trip to Newcastle United "following further security incidents which are being investigated by police," the club said in a statement Friday.

Ozil and Kolasinac were victims of an attempted carjacking by armed thieves in London on July 25 but escaped the incident unharmed. They were subsequently left out of friendlies against Lyon and Angers, but both featured in Sunday's 2-1 defeat at Barcelona.

Arsenal's statement, relayed by Goal's Charles Watts, continued: "We are liaising with the police and are providing the players and their families with ongoing support."

Kolasinac seemed to be in a jovial mood a day after he appeared to fend off the attackers, tweeting, "Think we're fine" with a picture of him and Ozil smiling during Arsenal's preseason tour.

"We look forward to welcoming the players back to the squad as soon as possible. We will not be making any further comment on the matter," the club's statement concluded.

Given the potential seriousness of the security issue, Arsenal's return to competitive action this weekend seems a mere triviality. But Unai Emery's retooled ranks could be shorthanded for Sunday's Tyneside tussle with Newcastle.

Hector Bellerin, Rob Holding, Konstantinos Mavropanos, and Emile Smith Rowe are all unavailable for the team's league opener due to injuries, while late decisions will be made regarding the fitness of Alexandre Lacazette, Nicolas Pepe, and Mohamed Elneny.

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