Arsenal have only won three of their last 10 games across all
competitions going into Wednesday's league match at the Emirates
Stadium, with the FA Cup now their last realistic chance of silverware.
There is uncertainty around Wenger, who is under intense pressure
with his contract due to expire at the end of the season. The Frenchman
has made a decision on whether to stay, but is yet to announce it
publicly.
Supporters are planning a protest march before the game, while fans
have been urged not to take their seats until 13 minutes before kick-off
- marking the number of years since Arsenal last won the title in 2004.
But Mustafi does not want to think about any of that, telling Sky
Sports: "The most important thing is to close the ears and focus on what
is happening on the pitch.
"We can't focus on the speculation and everything around us. It's the
wrong time. We should just focus on what's happening on the pitch.
"Wenger has been here 20 years, he knows what he has to do. Now it's
the players who have to go on the pitch and put in the performances.
"If he says he wants to leave or wants to stay, is it really going to
help or will it make it worse? Who knows? It's difficult to speak about
those things."
Mustafi, who scored in Sunday's 2-2 home draw with Manchester City,
continued: "We are not only paid for playing football but to be
professional as well. It is part of our job to have a little bit thicker
skin.
"In the days that we live in now, it is difficult because you see it
everywhere, on TV, then you have social media where you see a lot of
things.
Sometimes you don't want to see it, even when you want to just
text with friends or look at pictures that your family posted or
whatever.
"You get to see pictures that maybe you don't want to see and then
you read them and it might make you think about things that you should
not think about.
"We are professionals and we get paid for that as well, to be
professional on that part as well, not only on the pitch. That is what
we have to do - be professionals."
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