Former Arsenal star Mesut Ozil has revealed he has had successful surgery on his back, but he now faces a long spell on the sidelines.
Ozil currently plays for Turkish Super Lig side Istanbul Basaksehir, but has been able to make just three appearances due to fitness issues. In total, he has missed 31 matches over the past four years due to problems with his back.
In an attempt to finally put those problems to bed, he opted to undergo surgery earlier this week. The operation took place on Monday, with Ozil now releasing an encouraging update on his condition to his followers on social media.
He posted a picture of himself lying in a hospital bed, smiling and with his thumb up on Monday. In his caption for the photo he thanked fans for their support, writing: “Today's surgery went well. Thanks again to everyone for your messages & prayers - May God bless you all!"
Sadly for those fans, it is likely to be a significant spell on the sidelines for Ozil as he recovers from his procedure. He admitted last week that it will be some time before he is able to play again.
“Unfortunately I will be out for a longer time. I will be undergoing a surgery this weekend to finally get pain free in my back again. I will try everything to get back on the pitch as soon as possible again. Thanks for all your love and support,” Ozil tweeted.
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Ozil only joined Basaksehir after an acrimonious departure from fellow Turkish side Fenerbahce. At the time of his arrival at his new club, he admitted that his time with Fenerbahce had not gone as planned after a falling out with manager Ismail Kartal.
"One of the things that makes life is that it is full of uncertainties. Our plans, desires and wishes may not always go in the direction you want them to" Ozil tweeted upon joining Basaksehir.
"I wanted to achieve success by getting more chances to play in the Fenerbahce jersey, which has always been my childhood dream. I would like to thank the Fenerbahce community and fans for the great support they have shown me."
His time at the Grey Owls got off to a disastrous start though, when he captained their reserves side in a humiliating 7-1 thumping at the hands of Kasimpasa. Since then, he has made three appearances for the first-team, though all of these have come from the bench.
His last outing came on 15 September, in a 3-0 win over Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League. It will be some time before he adds to the 21 minutes he has played so far, though Basaksehir are currently top of the table in the Turkish Super Lig.
