While some Arsenal fans just shrugged off Mesut Ozil’s illness on Sunday as a stroke of bad luck, many were less than impressed with the German’s apparent weakness when it comes to germs.
Despite being in full training the day before and traveling up to Burnley, Ozil was ruled end of the Premier League clash against the Clarets and promptly sent home by club doctors.
Although there’s no further news on what kind of illness the German has been stricken down with, Arsene Wenger has more or less confirmed that he’ll also miss the midweek match against Huddersfield as well.
“I haven’t even seen him,” Wenger said post-match. “The doctor came to see me and said he had to travel back home, he was in the hotel with us.
“He travelled up with us, then travelled back. We brought Maitland-Niles up who arrived at 1pm because we had only 17 players.
“Will he be available for Wednesday? Certainly he will be short. We will see what it is exactly.”
This is the third time Ozil has been sidelined through illness in a season and a half and, while I realise most people prefer to take Wenger’s words at face value, I can’t help but be a tad suspicious. Especially when the 29-year-old had a clean bill of health for six years prior.
Ozil has been heavily linked with a move to either Manchester United or Barcelona by the end of the season seeing as he has just over six months left on his current deal in north London. Some Arsenal fans believe this absence from the clash at Turf Moor could be something to do with this.
Others, meanwhile, just believe that Ozil is a bit of a push-over when it comes to the common cold and some reckon the boss is just protecting him from the more physical teams ahead of bigger clashes. Arsenal face Manchester United on Saturday.
Here’s what Twitter had to say:
This is Mesut Ozil's third illness in the last season-and-a-half after nothing in the six years before…
— Lee Hurley (@HLeeHurley) November 26, 2017
It’s classic Arsene shielding imp. Doesn’t want to get him beat up by Burnley cause he knows that he is the man that holds the keys to our attack. We need him to be strong in January through the close season!
— Nate Smith (@nws13) November 26, 2017
Ozil has clearly now informed the club his intentions to find a new club in Jan… bollocks he is ill, took part in full training yesterday.. Time for Iwobi to be given the chance to shine.. #COYG
— ᴹᴿ Jimmy Chilides (@Jimmy_Chilides) November 26, 2017
I swear Ozil is ill every couple of weeks? Absolute fucking wet wipe.
— RJ (@LordRyanJohn) November 26, 2017
https://twitter.com/AdzCampbell91/status/934778782065545217
Ozil is ill … *again* – he's always getting sick. Supposedly. We could've used him today –
the Ozil that shows up, that is – like the one we saw last week. #Arsenal— Sandra N. (@SandraHelena39) November 26, 2017
https://twitter.com/brfootball/status/934778108409982976
Why fans got a problem with Ozil ill?. Respect him and wish him get better soon. Yes, i know he is top player and all that but get behind the team also win for Ozil
— Craig (@DeafGooner) November 26, 2017
Ozil sick and not playing…so that means he's leaving in January.
ARSENAL TWITTER IN 1 SENTENCE.
— OLD…BALD…GOONER… (@OldBaldGooner) November 26, 2017