Mesut Ozil facing World Cup injury woe

[PHOTO: COURTESY]

Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil is struggling to be fit for the World Cup according to reports in Germany.

Bild claim that the 29-year-old has been absent from team training for the last four days after sustaining a knee injury in a challenge with Watford defender Sebastian Prodl during Saturday's friendly defeat to Austria.

Ozil scored Germany's opener after 11 minutes, but the knock forced him off the pitch 14 minutes from the end of the 2-1 loss in Klagenfurt.

The Gunners midfielder was pictured undertaking fitness and conditioning work at training on Wednesday while the rest of the squad limbered up for their friendly against Saudi Arabia in Leverkusen on Friday.

Ozil missed Arsenal's last seven Premier League games of the season because of a back injury and other ailments, although he did play in both legs of the Europa League matches against CSKA Moscow and Atletico Madrid.

Reigning champions Germany face Mexico in their World Cup opener in Moscow on June 17, leaving Ozil with 10 days to prove his fitness to coach Joachim Low.

[PHOTO: COURTESY]

Last week Thomas Schneider, Low's assistant, told newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung: "We expect him to challenge himself in training.

"Mesut is always having treatment."