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FBL-WC-2018-GER-OZIL
Injured Ozil to miss Germany’s final World Cup warm-up
BERLIN, June 7, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Arsenal star Mesut Ozil will miss
Germany’s final warm-up match on Friday with a knee injury, but the attacking
midfielder’s participation in the World Cup is not in danger, according to
the German football federation.
Ozil, 29, will sit out the friendly against Saudi Arabia in Leverkusen with
light bruising to his left knee, but was able to run in training on Thursday.
The midfielder, who picked up the injury in Saturday’s shock 2-1 defeat to
Austria, has not taken part in full training over the last four days at
Germany’s pre-World Cup camp in Eppan, north Italy.
“It’s nothing dramatic, we just don’t want to take any risk and he was able
to sprint in training. I assume he will be okay for the World Cup,” said
Germany’s team director Oliver Bierhoff.
Ozil, who finished the 2017/18 season with a back injury, faces a race to
get his knee ready for Germany’s first World Cup game against Mexico in
Moscow on June 17 having also drawn South Korea and Sweden in Group F.
BSS/AFP/ARS/1729 hrs