Germany’s Arsenal star Mesut Ozil out for 12 weeks
Severe knee injury to 25-year-old dents country's chances and adds more club woes for Arsene Wenger’s mounting injury list
Mesut Ozil will miss Germany’s Euro 2016 qualifier against Poland on Saturday and faces up to 12 weeks out with a knee injury, the German Football Association (DFB) confirmed on Wednesday.
The 25-year-old Arsenal star complained of pain in his left knee and was flown to Munich on Wednesday morning to be treated by the DFB’s doctor, who diagnosed a partial tear of the left cruciate knee ligament.
Ozil will miss the group D qualifiers in Warsaw and against the Republic of Ireland in Gelsenkirchen next Tuesday.
It’s going to be a tough October with two difficult games. We have to introduce several new players into the squad
He also misses a qualifier against minnows Gibraltar in Nuremberg on November 14, plus a friendly against European champions Spain on November 18.
Ozil is also added to Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger’s mounting injury list and will miss the rest of the Gunners’ Champions League group stage matches, including the key Group D showdown at home to Borussia Dortmund on November 26.
Germany coach Joachim Loew is already missing several stars for the trip to Warsaw with captain Bastian Schweinsteiger, Sami Khedira, Benedikt Hoewedes, Marco Reus and Mario Gomez all injured while midfielder Julian Draxler has the flu.
Chelsea forward Andre Schuerrle also missed training on Wednesday with a muscular problem, but is expected to be fit.
