Mesut Ozil Ruled Out vs. Tottenham with Back Injury

Mesut Ozil did not feature for Arsenal in their north London derby with Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday because of a back injury.

The Gunners revealed he would not be available for the clash via Twitter prior to Arsenal's eventual 4-2 win at the Emirates Stadium. 

Ozil last appeared for Arsenal on November 11 in their 1-1 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The Guardian's Barney Ronay had some fun at the German's expense, while Arseblog's Andrew Mangan wasn't happy with the news:

After the match, Arsenal manager Unai Emery was questioned about Ozil's injury and was coy about the status of the German midfielder, via James Olley of the Evening Standard:

Indeed, Ozil's injury is unlikely to silence his critics, who already feel he does not contribute enough in their most important games.

In Ozil's place, Arsenal looked to Henrikh Mkhitaryan to replace his creative output and he could be an option on Wednesday as the Gunners take on his former team Manchester United at Old Trafford.