Arsenal’s under-fire star Mesut Ozil has been ruled out for 10-12 weeks after picking up a serious knee injury in Sunday’s 2-0 defeat to Chelsea at the weekend.
Ozil reported to the German national team during midweek complaining about his left knee. After undergoing an MRI, the German Football Association released the following statement.
“The MRI examination revealed a partial rupture of the outer band of the left knee joint.
“The treatment is six weeks of immobilisation of the knee joint. Mesut Ozil is likely to be [out for] 10 to 12 weeks.”
Among the key fixtures he is expected to miss are late November’s visits of Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund to the Emirates Stadium in the Premier League and Champions League respectively, and the trip to Anfield to face Liverpool four days before Christmas.
Ozil has been a major disappointment for Arsenal this season, scoring only once in the Premier League although you can make the case that his poor form is due to Arsene Wenger’s insistence in playing him out of position out wide, instead of using him as a central midfielder where he belongs.
The simple truth is Ozil is shouldering the brunt of the criticism and the pressure, when not all of it is his to bear. Ozil is miscast on the flank, and at some point, Wenger must be held accountable for his team’s struggles against top competition and not hide behind his best player. This injury, however unfortunate, takes Ozil out of the crosshairs. Now, the attention and scrutiny falls directly onto Wenger.