Mesut Ozil needs a rest.

There’s no doubt that the playmaker has been huge for us this season and, due to a number of other injuries, this has meant he’s been relied upon heavily.

Unfortunately, with the German’s history with injuries himself, this means that by playing him so often we’re skating on thin ice. Overplaying the midfielder, especially in cold weather, could result in one of the muscular injuries Arsenal are now unfortunately famed for, and this could spell disaster for the Gunners.

According to the Chronicle Live, we’re going to give Ozil a much-needed rest during our FA Cup clash against Sunderland on Saturday.

Even if the 27-year-old starts on the bench, not running about like a mad man for 90 minutes will undoubtedly benefit him and allow his body to recover from the intense winter schedule the Premier League demands.

I’m sure Wenger is more than aware of Ozil’s need for rest and Saturday is the perfect opportunity for it.

While we’re waiting for this season’s FA Cup campaign to kick-off, here’s last year’s.