Arsenal star Mesut Ozil will miss Germany’s final warm-up match today with a knee injury, but the attacking midfielder’s participation in the World Cup is not in danger, according to the German Football Association (DFB).
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 yesterday.
“I didn’t take part in final team training today, but some running exercises were possible again,” he wrote on his official Twitter account.
The midfielder, who picked up the injury in Saturday’s shock 2-1 defeat away 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.
Germany, who are winless in their last five games, are set to name a full strength side against Saudi Arabia, who play hosts Russia in the World Cup opener next Thursday.
Bayern Munich star Jerome Boateng could play his first game since suffering a groin injury in April, “we assume that Jerome is now 100 % fit”, said Bierhoff, but a final decision has not been taken.
With Ozil out, Paris Saint-Germain’s Julian Draxler is set to fill the attacking midfield role with Chelsea’s Antonio Ruediger stepping in for Boateng if needed.
World Cup winners Toni Kroos, Mats Hummels and Thomas Mueller are all set to return having sat out the Austria defeat with Timo Werner as the lone striker.
Having thrown away the lead against Austria, who enjoyed their first victory over their neighbours for 32 years, world champions Germany know they need to produce a good performance in their final game before flying to Russia on Tuesday.
“We’ve worked through the defeat, taken our mistakes to heart — tomorrow we want to do a much better job,” said left-back Jonas Hector.

Sane’s Germany snub makes no sense, says Ballack

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Bengaluru
Germany manager Joachim Loew’s decision to pick Julian Brandt over Leroy Sane in the nation’s 23-man squad for the World Cup makes no sense, former captain Michael Ballack has said.
Sane had his best season for Manchester City last campaign, scoring 10 goals to help the club seal the Premier League title and earning a PFA Young Player of the Year award in the process.
However, Loew said a “tight decision” had to be made between him and Bayer Leverkusen winger Brandt for Germany’s World Cup contingent.
“I can’t explain that. For me there is no photo finish. I can’t see it,” Ballack told British media.
“There’s 23 players in the squad, to say you only see him in the position Julian Brandt is playing — you have to have a fantasy to believe that.
“Brandt is a good, talented player... But he didn’t play on the level that Leroy Sane played. Sane was at a bigger club, with bigger expectations, with better players. Nothing against Julian Brandt, but I can’t explain why Loew compared the two.”
Holders Germany kick-off their World Cup campaign against Mexico in Group F on June 17. Sweden and South Korea are the other teams in the group.