Bayern Munich’s Jerome Boateng has been singing Mesut Ozil’s praises ahead of Arsenal’s return leg against the German team.

Boateng, who plays alongside Ozil for the German national team, reckons that the Gunners are lucky to have the playmaker in their squad.

“He is world class. Every player has a period where it’s not everything goes well,” Boateng told beIN Sports.

“He knows this by himself and he will make everything to play good for his team. He’s one of the best players in the world.

“I love to play with him. He’s always trying, he creates chances, he’s the best passing player I ever saw.

“When he was at Real Madrid he made the most assists – even at Arsenal. So I think they are very lucky to have him.”

Ozil has been criticised for not pulling his weight since practically the moment he set foot in north London and although he’s not been fantastic since Christmas, even Alexis Sanchez has been slightly off the pace.

It’s reassuring to see the 28-year-old’s compatriot coming out in support of him during what must be a pretty difficult time.

Unfortunately, Ozil won’t feature against Boateng on Tuesday night. The midfielder was sent home from training early last week due to illness and is still recovering, having only taken part in one training session.

Ozil was also ill over Christmas with flu, which takes a long time to fully recover from. Hopefully, this isn’t the same thing and he feels better soon, as that’s some poor luck right there.