Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has confirmed that Santi Cazorla is most likely sidelined for the rest of the season, as per Arsenal’s official website.
The 32-year-old aggravated an Achilles problem during the Champions League game against Ludogorets back in October.
The Spanish midfielder underwent a surgery back in December after inflammation around the ankle refused to subside and was then forced to have a skin graft done at the start of January after the wound refused to heal properly.
The Gunners were initially hoping to have the midfield maestro back for the final weeks of the season, however, it seems the plan will now be to focus on getting him ready for the start of next season.
The French Boss has admitted that losing the Spaniard has been a big blow and revealed that it’s unlikely the midfielder will play against until next term. Speaking to Arsenal Player, he said:
“It is very frustrating for us because, at the start of the season, he was maybe the star of the team,” said Wenger.
“Overall it is a big loss for us but I am especially sad for him. For a guy who loves football, when football is so natural, he suffers a lot not to be on the pitch.
“I am not specialised enough [to know if he’s out for the season],” added the boss. “It’s a special problem on his calf. At the moment, the only thing I can say because I have not seen him in training, not even in fitness work, is that he’ll be short [to return this season].”
The North London club recently picked up an option on his current which will keep him at the Emirates club for one more season at least.
Cazorla’s ankle has proven troublesome over the past few years, and the 32-year-old has now undergone several procedures to fix the problem. That will make him out of competitive action for a period of 10 months by the time the next season kicks in.
Even though the midfielder is 32 now, he is still an instrumental figure in the Gunners first team. His vision, creativity and distribution are key components to the passing-orientated midfield of Wenger’s system.
Let’s just hope we’ve finally gotten rid of his persistent injury problem and he’s able to enjoy an injury-free campaign next year as we’re a totally different team with our Spanish maestro pulling the strings in the midfield.
