Arsenal players were left furious after Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez failed to attend a club media activity day last month.

The first-team squad were required to report to the club’s London Colney training base for a series of engagements to satisfy corporate and sponsorship agreements on September 21, the day after the Gunners’ 1-0 League Cup win over Doncaster.

Standard Sport understands injured players including Danny Welbeck - sidelined until after the international break with a groin problem - appeared alongside fringe members including Mathieu Debuchy, who has made just one first-team outing for Arsenal since November 2015, but the team’s two highest-profile players were nowhere to be seen.

The club has told the Standard that the pair were sick and therefore unable to take part but Sanchez played 90 minutes against Doncaster the night before and manager Arsene Wenger held a press conference that morning at which he talked about both players without mentioning any illness.

Sanchez started Arsenal’s next game against West Brom four days later while Ozil appeared as a late substitute. It is not the first time some of their team-mates have become irritated by the pair’s seeming unwillingness to conduct their share of media duties.

Several players have privately voiced their annoyance at Sanchez and Ozil’s reluctance to speak publicly, especially during the toughest period last season when Arsenal lost seven out of 12 matches in all competitions between January 31 and April 10.

The apparent unwillingness to carry some of the collective contractual obligations only fuels the belief among the players that Sanchez and Ozil will soon leave the club. Both have entered the final year of their contracts and continue to show no willingness to sign extensions despite offers to double their wages remaining on the table. Sanchez was offered a new deal worth £300,000 a week including image rights back in April but was keen on moving to Manchester City only for that £60million deal to collapse on deadline day due to Arsenal’s failure to sign Monaco winger Thomas Lemar as a replacement.

In Pictures | Alexis Sanchez at Arsenal 27 show all In Pictures | Alexis Sanchez at Arsenal 1/27 22 January 2018 Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez celebrates scoring his team's second goal vs Burnley Arsenal FC via Getty Images 2/27 13 January 2018 Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger with Alexis Sanchez during a training session at London Colney Arsenal FC via Getty Images 3/27 10 January 2018 Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez passes the ball under pressure from N'Golo Kante of Chelsea during their Carabao Cup Semi-Final First Leg match at Stamford Bridge Arsenal FC via Getty Images 4/27 03 January 2018 Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez waves to the crowd at the Emirates Stadium before ther Premier League match vs Chelsea Getty Images 5/27 10 January 2018 Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez warms up before the Carabao Cup Semi-Final First Leg match vs Chelsea Catherine Ivill/Getty Images 6/27 26 December 2017 Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez celebrates after scoring the opening goal with a deflected free kick vs West Brom at Th eHawthorns AFP/Getty Images 7/27 26 December 2017 Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez controls the ball at Anfield vs Liverpool Getty Images 8/27 02 December 2017 Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez breaks past Man United's POaul Pogba at Emirates Stadium Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images 9/27 26 November 2017 Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez celebrates scoring his side's first goal of the game during the Premier League match at Turf Moor, Burnley PA 10/27 4 March 2017 Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez reacts at Anfield v Liverpool Getty Images 11/27 11 February 2017 Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez celebrates scoring his team's second goal vs Hull Getty Images 12/27 03 December 2016 Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez celebrates after scoring the opening goal vs Everton at Goodison Park Getty Images 13/27 03 December 2016 Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez celebrates after scoring his team's second goal vs West Ham at London Stadium Getty Images 14/27 13 September 2016 Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez celebrates scoring his sides first goal with team mates during the UEFA Champions League Group A match vs Paris Saint-Germain at Parc des Princes Getty Images 15/27 4 March 2016 Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez celebrates scoring his team's second goal v Tottenham Hotspur Getty Images 16/27 21 November 2015 Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez reacts after missing a chance vs West Brom Getty Images 17/27 4 October 2015 Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez scoring his team's third goal vs Man United at the Emirates Stadium Getty Images 18/27 26 September 2015 Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez celebrates scoring his team's fourth and his hat trick goal Getty Images 19/27 26 September 2015 Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez celebrates scoring his team's second goal vs Leicester City Arsenal FC via Getty Images 20/27 26 September 2015 Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez celebrates scoring his team's fourth and his hat trick goal Getty Images 21/27 30 May 2015 Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez lifts the trophy in celebration after the FA Cup Final vs Aston Villa at Wembley Stadium Getty Images 22/27 18 April 2015 Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez celebrates scoring the the opening goal during the FA Cup Semi Final between Arsenal and Reading at Wembley Stadium Getty Images 23/27 11 January 2015 Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez scores his team's third goal vs Stoke at the Emirates Stadium Getty Images 24/27 26 September 2014 Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez celebrates after scoring his team's second goal during the UEFA Champions League Group D match vs Borussia Dortmund at the Emirates Stadium Getty Images 25/27 26 September 2014 Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez celebrates after scoring his team's second goal during the UEFA Champions League Group D match vs Borussia Dortmund at the Emirates Stadium Getty Images 26/27 01 August 2014 Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez during a training session at London Colney Arsenal FC via Getty Images 27/27 10 July 2014 Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez Arsenal FC via Getty Images 1/27 22 January 2018 Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez celebrates scoring his team's second goal vs Burnley Arsenal FC via Getty Images 2/27 13 January 2018 Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger with Alexis Sanchez during a training session at London Colney Arsenal FC via Getty Images 3/27 10 January 2018 Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez passes the ball under pressure from N'Golo Kante of Chelsea during their Carabao Cup Semi-Final First Leg match at Stamford Bridge Arsenal FC via Getty Images 4/27 03 January 2018 Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez waves to the crowd at the Emirates Stadium before ther Premier League match vs Chelsea Getty Images 5/27 10 January 2018 Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez warms up before the Carabao Cup Semi-Final First Leg match vs Chelsea Catherine Ivill/Getty Images 6/27 26 December 2017 Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez celebrates after scoring the opening goal with a deflected free kick vs West Brom at Th eHawthorns AFP/Getty Images 7/27 26 December 2017 Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez controls the ball at Anfield vs Liverpool Getty Images 8/27 02 December 2017 Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez breaks past Man United's POaul Pogba at Emirates Stadium Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images 9/27 26 November 2017 Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez celebrates scoring his side's first goal of the game during the Premier League match at Turf Moor, Burnley PA 10/27 4 March 2017 Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez reacts at Anfield v Liverpool Getty Images 11/27 11 February 2017 Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez celebrates scoring his team's second goal vs Hull Getty Images 12/27 03 December 2016 Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez celebrates after scoring the opening goal vs Everton at Goodison Park Getty Images 13/27 03 December 2016 Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez celebrates after scoring his team's second goal vs West Ham at London Stadium Getty Images 14/27 13 September 2016 Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez celebrates scoring his sides first goal with team mates during the UEFA Champions League Group A match vs Paris Saint-Germain at Parc des Princes Getty Images 15/27 4 March 2016 Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez celebrates scoring his team's second goal v Tottenham Hotspur Getty Images 16/27 21 November 2015 Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez reacts after missing a chance vs West Brom Getty Images 17/27 4 October 2015 Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez scoring his team's third goal vs Man United at the Emirates Stadium Getty Images 18/27 26 September 2015 Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez celebrates scoring his team's fourth and his hat trick goal Getty Images 19/27 26 September 2015 Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez celebrates scoring his team's second goal vs Leicester City Arsenal FC via Getty Images 20/27 26 September 2015 Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez celebrates scoring his team's fourth and his hat trick goal Getty Images 21/27 30 May 2015 Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez lifts the trophy in celebration after the FA Cup Final vs Aston Villa at Wembley Stadium Getty Images 22/27 18 April 2015 Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez celebrates scoring the the opening goal during the FA Cup Semi Final between Arsenal and Reading at Wembley Stadium Getty Images 23/27 11 January 2015 Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez scores his team's third goal vs Stoke at the Emirates Stadium Getty Images 24/27 26 September 2014 Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez celebrates after scoring his team's second goal during the UEFA Champions League Group D match vs Borussia Dortmund at the Emirates Stadium Getty Images 25/27 26 September 2014 Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez celebrates after scoring his team's second goal during the UEFA Champions League Group D match vs Borussia Dortmund at the Emirates Stadium Getty Images 26/27 01 August 2014 Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez during a training session at London Colney Arsenal FC via Getty Images 27/27 10 July 2014 Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez Arsenal FC via Getty Images

City are expected to make a fresh offer in January but they face renewed competition from the continent as Sanchez is free to talk to overseas clubs from January 1.

Paris Saint Germain retain an interest despite signing Neymar and Kylian Mbappe for £365m in the summer and given their need to offload players, a possible swap deal for Sanchez involving Julian Draxler has been mooted. Wenger has been a long-term admirer of Draxler, who has started only half of PSG’s Ligue 1 matches so far this season.

Meanwhile, Ozil has also turned down a deal worth in excess of £250,000-a-week, with Inter Milan his most likely destination at present. Any interest from Manchester United could trigger a scramble for his signature, although his wage demands of £350,000-a-week are a stumbling block for most potential suitors.

Wenger continues to hope that Sanchez and Ozil will commit their futures to Arsenal but the reality behind the scenes looks very different at present.