Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil could be ruled out for up to 12 weeks after picking up a knee injury in Sunday’s Premier League defeat to Chelsea.
Ozil joined up with the German national squad this week but was sent for an MRI scan in Munich after complaining of soreness in his left knee.
The German FA claims Ozil’s injury will rule him out for “10 to 12 weeks” although the Gunners say it is too early to put a timescale on his recovery process.
A statement on the DFB website read: “The MRI examination at National Dr. Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfahrt in Munich revealed a partial rupture of the outer band of the left knee joint.
“The treatment is conservative, with six weeks of immobilisation of the knee joint. Mesut Ozil is likely to be (out for) 10 to 12 weeks.”
Ozil managed to complete the full match at Stamford Bridge but complained afterwards of tenderness in his knee.
An Arsenal statement read: “Arsenal can confirm that midfielder Mesut Ozil is returning to London from international duty with Germany. The club advised the German FA to run medical checks.
“The club will make further assessments and it is too early to say how long Ozil may be out of action.”
The news is another blow for Gunners boss Arsene Wenger, who has seen midfielders Aaron Ramsey and Mikel Arteta pick up injuries in recent weeks. Ramsey will be out of action for another three to four weeks with a hamstring complaint although Wenger was slightly more upbeat about Arteta, who could return after the international break following a calf problem.
Ozil joins fellow first-team players Mathieu Debuchy and Olivier Giroud as long-term injury concerns this season.