Arsenal rely on Ozil flair as Wilshere woes pile up ahead of crucial Dortmund game

In a world where Jack Wilshere never got injured, he would be alongside Mesut Ozil in Arsenal’s midfield this evening and facing him at Wembley in 13 days.

Sadly for Wilshere, he is out of this tantalising Champions League clash against Borussia Dortmund with an ankle injury and may yet be forced out of England’s prestige friendly against Germany.

There will be another assessment on Wilshere’s susceptible left ankle on Thursday, but discussions between Roy Hodgson’s medical department have already taken place with Arsenal’s physios. It doesn’t sound promising.

Main man: Mesut Ozil is vital to Arsenal's hopes of progressing in the Champions League

Game for a life: Ozil and his Arsenal team-mates were in high spirits during Tuesday's training session

Pressure's on: Ozil must perform in his homeland when Arsenal travel to Dortmund on Wednesday

Wenger said: ‘I will know more on Thursday when he will have another test. If that is not successful he will definitely be out for Sunday against Manchester United. 

If he is out for Sunday, then he will definitely be out for England as well.’

It left Wenger to talk about those who were fit to travel to Dortmund for this challenging Group F  clash against last season’s beaten finalists.

Missing man: Jack Wilshere will miss Arsenal's Champions league match against Borussia Dortmund in Germany due to an ankle injury

Brave lion: Wilshere is fighting to be fit to face his Arsenal teammate Mesut Ozil when England face Germany in a friendly at Wembley on November 19

Ozil is one of them and Wenger believes he can break into the Lionel Messi/Cristiano Ronaldo cartel to battle for the right to be regarded as the best player on the planet.

The Germany midfielder, who has scored three times since his £42.5m move from Real Madrid in September, is one of 23 nominees for FIFA’s prestigious Ballon d’Or award.

Wenger added: ‘Ozil is not one of the favourites this year, but in the future he can win it.

Heading to the top: Arsene Wenger believes his star midfielder Mesut Ozil can challenge Christian Ronaldo and Lionel Messi for FIFA's prestigious Ballon d'Or award in the future

Real deal: Ozil did well in Spain for Real Madrid and eyebrows were raised when the Spanish side let the German midfielder join Arsenal this summer

Brazil bound: Ozil will get to showcase his talent on the world stage at this summer's World Cup finals in Brazil with his native Germany

‘What he has brought to the team is exceptional technical quality. His vision and his desire to play collectively with other players is very strong. He is a player who has only one master and that is the football. 

'He does what the game demands and that is something that all the great players have.’

It’s an ambitious target to set a player, but Ozil’s unique skills can turn tight situations in their favour.

Rock and roll star: Music lover Jurgen Klopp is hoping to hear the Dortmund fans sing as he plots Arsenal's downfall in the Champions League

Head over heels: Arsenal will need to pay attention to Dortmund's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Gabon who scored in their recent win against VfB Stuttgart

They will need him to perform against Jurgen Klopp’s team.

Arsenal will run out in front of the Sudtribune, home of the legendary Yellow Wall where 25,000 Dortmund fanatics are stationed, to meet  German football’s form team.

Knows where the net is: Robert Lewandowski scored four goals at the weekend on the back of his winner against Arsenal at the Emirates

Balancing act: Arsenal will need to keep a close eye on Robert Lewandowski but Dortmund are far from a one-man team

Danger man: Robert Lewandowski is in fantastic form heading into the match against Arsenal on Wednesday

Champions league clash: Arsenal travel to Germany to take on Borussia Dortmund

They have a 100 per cent record at home this season and tuned up for Arsenal’s visit with a 6-1 victory over Stuttgart on Friday evening.

As usual Robert Lewandowski, who scored the winner for Dortmund at the Emirates two weeks ago, was in on the action. He scored a hat-trick, the fourth of his career with Die Borussen. Wenger said:

‘Usually at home Lewandowski is dangerous, but it’s down to us to have the ball. That is the best way to keep them quiet. If we leave the ball to Dortmund, a player like Lewandowski will be dangerous.’

So, too, are Arsenal. They were lifted by the manner of their victory over Liverpool on Saturday, putting away one of their title rivals with an assured performance at the Emirates.

They are also unbeaten in 14 away games since that epic night in Munich when they stunned the eventual winners last March by winning 2-0 in the Allianz-Arena.

‘Maybe we didn’t have the same belief at home because we failed to win a few big home games and there was a bit of scepticism,’ added Wenger.

They are bursting with belief now, convinced they can put a spike in a record of wins at this 81,000-capacity stadium this season that reads: 2-1, 1-0, 6-2, 5-0, 3-0, 1-0, 6-1.

Klopp was measured on Tuesday, slipping on the game face after his entertaining analogies that compared his side with a heavy metal band and Arsenal with an orchestra. 

This is the serious stuff and he has already shown his players a video of Arsenal’s remarkable victory against last season’s champions.

‘This will be a great fight and there will be a lot of man-on-man tackles,’ said Klopp.
‘It will be tough for Lewandowski against Mertesacker and Koscielny. He will have to impose his game.’
Beyond that, it is shaping up to be a classic.