Özil returned to training today having been ill in bed on Monday and Tuesday

Arsène Wenger has expressed concern that Mesut Özil has been ill for the fourth time in little over a year. The Arsenal playmaker was in his sick bed for two days at the start of the week after the squad returned to training following a day off on Sunday.

Illness has caused him to miss matches against Burnley and Cologne in November, three games in the first half of January and the defeat by Liverpool last March.

Özil posted this picture on social media on Sunday, leading some to question why he was away while ill — but the German stayed at the same hotel earlier this month @M10—OFFICIAL

Özil trained on Saturday and posted a photo on social media on Sunday in which he appeared to be enjoying a break with his girlfriend in Istanbul. He frequently travels to Turkey when he has time off. “Mesut was sick, today was his first training session [back],” Wenger,