Arsenal injury news: Arsene Wenger confirms foot injury forced Mesut Ozil to miss Stoke City clash

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has revealed a foot injury forced Mesut Ozil to miss the clash against Stoke City on 17 January. The fixture at the Britannia Stadium ended in a 0-0 draw as the north London club were forced to settle for a point.

The Gunners will host the cross town rivals as they take on Chelsea in the next Premier League clash on 24 January. The Frenchman claims the German international should be in contention to face the Blues as they look to bounce back with a win after settling for a point against Mark Hughes's side.

"He had an inflammation on his foot and yesterday morning we looked and he was not very well," Wenger explained, as quoted by Arsenal's official website. "He was not 100% at Liverpool so I decided to leave him out. I think he should be back for next Sunday."

Ozil has been the key player for Arsenal this season as he has already registered 16 assists and scored three goals from 20 Premier League starts. His contribution is vital for his side and the midfielder's availability for the Gunners' visit to Chelsea will be a boost for Wenger.

Alexis Sanchez is also expected to return for the tie against the west London club. The Chilean international has been sidelined with a hamstring injury since November and the return of the ex-Barcelona star and Ozil will only improve Arsenal's squad for Chelsea fixture.

Stoke and Arsenal had chances to find the back of the net on several occasions, especially in the second half. However, former Chelsea star Petr Cech and Potters goalkeeper Jack Butland's impressive display saw the match end in a goalless draw.

The Emirates club's manager hailed Stoke's defensive discipline and performance on Sunday. When asked if it was a game of two keepers, Wenger said: "I think Stoke was dangerous as well. I think Stoke played very well today in the air but we had clear-cut chances with Giroud and Campbell."

"Maybe there was a dangerous situation when Theo Walcott could have got a penalty or a free-kick on the edge of the box. Stoke have remarkable defensive discipline and they played very well."