Arsene Wenger admits he is unsure about Mesut Ozil Arsenal return
Arsene Wenger admits that Arsenal are still assessing Mesut Ozil's fitness levels after his lay-off with a knee problem
Arsene Wenger has admitted that he is still not sure about Mesut Ozil’s fitness levels after the Arsenal star’s recent lay-off with a knee problem.
The Germany playmaker has been out of action in recent weeks as he struggled with a minor knee issue but made his return on Monday night when he came off the bench during Arsenal’s 2-0 victory over West Brom in the Premier League.
Ozil sat out Arsenal’s goalless draw with Chelsea earlier this month as the Gunners earned plenty of praise for their performance without the Germany international.
It remains to be seen whether Ozil will be restored to the starting line-up for Arsenal’s clash against Brighton at The Emirates in the Premier League on Sunday.
But speaking after Monday’s win, Wenger explained why he had opted to start Ozil on the bench.
Wenger told BBC Sport: “He just came back from a knee problem, and he hasn’t practiced a lot in the last two weeks.
“I didn’t know really how much he has lost on the fitness front.”
Arsenal take on BATE Borisov in the Europa League in Russia on Thursday night.
The Gunners will then switch their attentions back towards Premier League affairs and their home clash with Brighton at The Emirates.
Arsenal are currently in seventh place in the Premier League table and six points behind joint leaders Manchester City and Manchester United after six games.
