Mesut Ozil injury could be turning point for Arsenal

Mesut Ozil will be missing until 2015.

The news that Arsenal's German midfielder Mesut Ozil could be out until the new year, how will Arsene Wenger cope?

The morning headlines screamed 'Mesut Ozil injury a massive blow to Arsenal'.

This was on the day after the German football association confirmed that the playmaker had been diagnosed with knee ligament damage.

It may feel like a blow to Arsene Wenger right now as he deals with a number of injuries to key players, but it could help the Gunners in the long-term if the notoriously stubborn Frenchman re-evaluates Ozil's worth during his 10-12 week absence.

Because the Ozil he is losing is not the player who scored 19 goals and assisted 47 others during his three seasons at Real Madrid - his recent numbers show an alarming decline in productivity.

The 25-year-old should be approaching his peak years as a footballer, but he has scored only twice and assisted three goals for Arsenal in the last nine months.

Delving deeper into the German's stats over the past five seasons and the drop off looks like a persistent decline rather than just a short-term blip.

For Werder Bremen in 2009/10, Ozil scored 0.31 goals per game and assisted 0.45 - earning him the 12.5 million move to Real Madrid and the role as playmaker for the German national team.

His career continued on the upward curve in Spain, posting 0.59 assists per game in the first season and 0.50 and 0.55 thereafter in combined Champions League and La Liga appearances.

Ozil managed an incredible 0.32 goals per game as well in his final season before the 42.5million transfer to the Emirates Stadium that sent Arsenal fans into raptures and left Cristiano Ronaldo to lament (according to AS): "He was the player who best knew my moves in front of goal. I'm angry about Ozil leaving."

After a bright start for his new team, Ozil faded - and badly - finishing the campaign with 0.18 goals per game and 0.33 assists - his worst figures since he became a first-team regular.

Arsene Wenger continued to defend him in public and pick him for all the big games but up to his injury this term, Ozil's output had dropped again - to 0.12 goals per game and 0.25 assists - albeit over a smaller sample size.

Gunners fans will remember how loyal their manager was to Andrey Arshavin when the Russian's performances, after a promising start, faded into obscurity and the same could be happening to Ozil.

His enforced break will give Wenger a chance to re-assess his importance to the side and give other players an opportunity to shine.

With Aaron Ramsey also out, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will need to step up and Arsenal fans may get to see him in his preferred central role.

Santi Cazorla had been nudged out of Wenger's favoured selection by the arrival of Alexis Sanchez, starting in only four of the first seven Premier League games, but he may now see Ozil's injury as a chance to re-establish himself in the side.

Wenger will have to look at younger options too with no chance to replenish his squad until January.

Exciting German teenagers Serge Gnabry and Gideon Zelalem have been patiently waiting for their chances and they will surely come while Ozil's knee is mending - while the irony of seeing Abou Diaby back in the side between now and Christmas won't be lost on the injury-prone midfielder.