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Mikel Arteta fires warning over bows of Matteo Guendouzi and Mesut Özil

<span>Photograph: Laurence Griffiths/Reuters</span>
Photograph: Laurence Griffiths/Reuters

Mikel Arteta has outlined the standards Matteo Guendouzi, Mesut Özil and any other wayward Arsenal players have to meet if they are going to play long-term roles under his management, reminding them that they must be “100% committed to our culture”.

Guendouzi has missed the past three matches through what Arteta has termed “internal issues”, and the head coach warned that “some things have to change, and nothing has changed” when asked about his player after Wednesday’s win over Norwich. Özil has missed out since the top flight’s resumption through, variously, Arteta’s volition and a mystery back injury. Questioned about their absences last week, Arteta explained anyone who wanted to “jump on the boat” would be welcome to work under him and he elaborated on the maritime metaphor before Saturday’s crucial match at Wolves.

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“[It refers to] players that respect the values we want to implement, that are 100% committed to our culture, and players that are accountable every day for what we demand from them,” he said. “Players that are ready to help each other, fight for each other and enjoy playing together. That is what I mean by being in the boat. If you behave like this every day you are very, very welcome here and we want to get the best out of you and help you to enjoy your profession with us.”

Those behaviours, he continued, can be judged every day. “You see that in every reaction of the player. What time he comes into training, how he comes, how ready he is, the way he communicates, the energy he brings in, the way he transmits his feelings to his teammates, the way he reacts to certain things, the way he behaves in training, during games. There are a lot of things we can pick up.”

Arteta emphasised the need to create an environment that promotes honest interactions with coaching staff when players are undergoing difficulties. “We all have moments when you have doubts about your future, you have difficult times and that is why the conversations have to be open.”

It remains unclear whether Guendouzi or Özil will return to the squad at Molineux, where Arsenal would move to within three points of sixth-placed Wolves with a win. Arteta was pressed at length about the condition of Özil’s back, which is one of a number of niggling complaints experienced by the playmaker in recent seasons, but said he was unable to add detail. “At the moment the situation is like last week,” he said.

Gabriel Martinelli’s impressive first season in English football has been rewarded with a new long-term contract. Before suffering a knee injury that will rule him out for several months Martinelli, who joined from the lowly Brazilian club Ituano last summer, had scored 10 goals in 26 appearances. Arsenal’s confirmation of his new deal on Friday was their second such announcement of the week, with Bukayo Saka signing a four-year contract on Wednesday.