• Premier League

Ozil seven weeks from fitness after knee injury

Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil has revealed he is set for another seven weeks on the sidelines due to his knee injury.

Ozil, 26, ruptured ligaments in his left knee during the Arsenal's 2-0 defeat by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on October 5.

Despite sustaining the injury, Ozil still joined up with the Germany squad ahead of their Euro 2016 qualifiers against Poland and Republic of Ireland the following week.

Ozil did not train with the team and left the Germany camp in Frankfurt for precautionary tests after the problem in his knee was detected. The tests revealed the ruptured ligaments, and the German Football Association (DFB) announced that the player would be ruled out for 10 to 12 weeks.

Speaking at the Laureus Media Prize ceremony on Wednesday - where he received an award after paying for 23 Brazilian children to have life-saving surgery - Ozil confirmed that he will not return to action before the end of 2014.

"I've been out injured for five weeks, and I will miss another seven weeks. That's a long time, indeed," he said. "Sadly, I am ruled out because of my knee. But it is like that in football sometimes. Chin up, and move on."

The DFB's original diagnosis was questioned by Arsenal, with manager Arsene Wenger saying at the time: "We have our own specialist giving us his opinion after reading the scan and examining Mesut. We will follow our own recommendations."

The story on the club's website added that "Wenger knows he will be without the 25-year-old for at least two months."

Mesut Ozil received the Laureus award for the biggest social commitment © Getty Images

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