Ozil defends United recruit Schweinsteiger

Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil believes Germany team-mate Bastian Schweinsteiger is being unfairly judged following his move to Manchester United.

Debate has raged as to whether Schweinsteiger’s 31-year-old body can hold up to the demands of the Premier League after leaving boyhood club Bayern Munich for United in July.

Schweinsteiger – yet to complete a full match as a United player – produced a classy second-half cameo as Louis van Gaal’s men qualified for the UEFA Champions League group stage via a 4-0 second-leg win at Club Brugge.

“The drastic interim judgment in [the] English press is not fair towards him,” Ozil told Germany’s Sport 1.

“He certainly needs some time to adjust to Premier League. Just allow him a bit of time.

“Basti has shown the whole world at the World Cup what a leader he is, most of all in the final.

“Whenever the English media writes about Bastian, they put a World Cup winner before his name.

“He’s now the German world champion, who should make the difference for United.”