Swansea City vs. Arsenal: Arsene Wenger's Key Pre-Match Press Conference Quotes

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has confirmed Mesut Ozil will return to the Gunners squad when they face Swansea City on Saturday, and he believes the German has been "misinterpreted" following comments asking for clarity on the manager's future before putting pen to paper on a new contract. 

According to the Mirror's Ben Burrows, Wenger does not believe his own future at the club is tied directly to Ozil's: 

"

I think he has been a bit misinterpreted. I don’t think that is the main part of his decision.

We always speak, I speak more with his agent on the contract than with him.

Let’s not forget all these players have 18 months to go, that is a long time in football. I’m very relaxed.

"

Per BBC Sport, Ozil told German outlet Kicker he "wanted to be clear" on whether Wenger would stay beyond the end of his current deal—which expires in the summer—as the Frenchman was the driving force behind his move to the Emirates Stadium. But the Gunners star added he was otherwise "very happy" at the club and "prepared to extend" his deal.

The playmaker has been absent with illness but will return alongside several other key players, as Burrows relayed: "[Laurent] Koscielny is coming back, [Petr] Cech, Ozil and [Alexis] Sanchez all back. [Hector] Bellerin is still out as is [Francis] Coquelin. They are not far."

Wenger also provided updates on recent speculation linking Carl Jenkinson with a move to Crystal Palace and the Gunners with Torino striker Andrea Belotti, per ESPN FC's Mattias Karen and Bleacher Report UK:

He also spoke of Mathieu Debuchy's future, per the Mirror's John Cross:

The Frenchman's career at the Emirates has been plagued with injuries, and he has played just 16 minutes of football this season.

Following Graham Taylor's death on Thursday, Wenger paid tribute to the former England, Aston Villa and Watford manager, per Arsenal's official Twitter feed:

Looking ahead to Saturday's clash at the Liberty Stadium, the 67-year-old reflected on Olivier Giroud's imperious form:

The striker has notched nine goals and five assists in all competitions this season, finding the net four times in his last four games.

Sanchez's return to fitness will ease the pressure on the 30-year-old, but he'll no doubt prove useful to Arsenal on Saturday, particularly if they find themselves struggling against a Swansea side that will be motivated for manager Paul Clement's first Premier League game in charge.

The Gunners have won just five of their last 10 league games and slipped out of the top four as a result. Three points are vital for their title prospects or they could find themselves in sixth place, 11 points behind Chelsea at the end of the matchday.