• Premier League

Ozil out for up to 12 weeks with knee ligament injury

ESPN staff
October 8, 2014
Ozil out 10-12 weeks with knee injury

Mesut Ozil has been ruled out for 10-12 weeks with a knee ligament injury, the German Football Association (DFB) has announced.

Mesut Ozil will miss Arsenal's games against Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund at the Emirates © Getty Images
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The Arsenal midfielder has suffered a partial lateral collateral ligament tear in his left knee which could keep him sidelined for up to three months. He travelled to Munich to undergo an MRI scan ahead of Germany's upcoming Euro 2016 qualifiers but the results will not please Arsene Wenger.

Ozil joined up with the Germany squad in Frankfurt with a knee problem before he was sent on to Munich for precautionary tests. The DFB was keen to confirm Ozil had arrived with the injury, which kept the 25-year-old out of the opening training session on Tuesday.

The statement read: "The Arsenal playmaker already complained about pains in his left knee when arriving at Frankfurt.

"A MRI scan at team doctor Dr. Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfahrt today revealed a partial lateral collateral ligament tear in left knee. The treatment will be non-operative with a six-week immobilisation of the knee. Mesut Ozil is likely to be out for 10 to 12 weeks."

Arsenal confirmed later on Wednesday that the DFB had been notified of Ozil's condition prior to him travelling. The club also stated it would run further tests to determine exactly how long their star would be out for, saying it is currently "too early to tell."

An official club statement read: "Arsenal can confirm that midfielder Mesut Ozil is returning to London from international duty with Germany after picking up a knee injury during Sunday's game at Chelsea.

"Ozil complained of a sore left knee after the game and the club advised the German FA to run medical checks when he joined up with his international squad."

The news means Ozil will miss Arsenal's Premier League clash with Manchester United on November 22 as well as a potentially crucial Champions League tie with Borussia Dortmund at the Emirates Stadium on November 26. He will likely miss the trip to Galatasaray on December 9 and could also sit out Arsenal's league match with Liverpool at Anfield on December 21.

Wenger is facing somewhat of an injury crisis, with Aaron Ramsey, Mikel Arteta and Serge Gnabry already on the sidelines, as well as Mathieu Debuchy, Olivier Giroud, Yaya Sanogo and Theo Walcott.

Germany visit Poland on Saturday before hosting Republic of Ireland on Tuesday as they continue their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign, which started with a 2-1 defeat of Scotland.

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