Arsenal news: Mesut Özil eases injury fears after going off at half-time during Germany's win over Northern Ireland
Özil was replaced at half-time during the 2-0 victory but says there is nothing to worry about
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Mesut Özil has eased fears among Arsenal fans after he was substituted at half-time during Germany’s 2018 World Cup qualifier victory over Northern Ireland, with the midfielder confirming that “everything is all right”.
Özil’s departure at half-time, with Joachim Löw electing to replace him with Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan, raised fears that the 27-year-old had suffered an injury. With Arsenal able to go top of the Premier League this weekend should they beat Swansea and both Tottenham and Manchester City slip up, fans immediately barraged Özil with messages on Twitter asking for an update on his condition.
They will have been relieved then with Özil’s post on Tuesday night as he confirmed there was no injury to report and that the night had been a success on all fronts, with the reigning world champions running out 2-0 winners.
Özil wrote: “Thanks for taking care because of my substitution but everything is all right guys.
It appears then that Löw’s decision may have been tactical rather than injury-based, although Özil displayed no frustration with the move if it was an early pull. That may have simply been down to giving Özil a bit of a break, with Germany already two goals to the good through Sami Khedira and Julian Draxler.
With Özil integral to Arsenal’s hopes this season, the likelihood is that he will play the majority of the Gunners’ matches in the hope of ending the club’s 12-year Premier League title drought, and if Löw decided to give him the second half to recover, then it will certainly be music to the ears of Arsene Wenger, given the Arsenal manager has never been too fond of the international breaks during the season.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments