• Premier League

Germany bite back in Ozil injury row

ESPN staff
October 9, 2014
Mesut Ozil could be out until 2015 after picking up a serious knee injury © Getty Images
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Germany assistant coach Thomas Schneider has rejected claims that the diagnosis of Mesut Ozil's knee injury might not be correct, insisting he has full trust in the national side's medical team.

Arsenal midfielder Ozil joined the Germany national team on Tuesday for the upcoming Euro 2016 qualifiers, but later complained about pain in his knee. He was taken out of training that day, and on Wednesday left the team's Frankfurt base for an MRI scan in Munich.

The scan, with team doctor Dr. Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfahrt, revealed a partial lateral collateral ligament tear in Ozil's left knee - an injury which is expected to keep the midfielder out until the new year.

A German FA statement read: "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."

But later on Wednesday, Arsenal released a statement claiming that "it is too early to say how long Ozil may be out of action."

Speaking on Thursday, Schneider told a news conference that Muller-Wohlfart has made an accurate diagnosis.

"I have neither read nor heard about this," Schneider said when confronted with the Arsenal statement.

"I think that our medical department, and we fully trust them, has diagnosed Mesut's injury. And we are absolutely confident that it all was correct."

Schneider also announced that Germany will call up no new players despite Ozil's injury.

"We don't plan [to call up a replacement]," he added. "It's bitter that Mesut is out for such a long time, but it doesn't change the fact that we want to win the match on Saturday."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd
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