The
midfielder will travel to Sweden for an operation despite Arsene
Wenger's previous insistence that only inflammation was preventing him
from returning to full fitness.
Santi Cazorla
Arsenal midfielder Santi Cazorla has been ruled out for three months after learning he will require surgery on an ankle injury.
Cazorla injured the plantaris tendon in his right foot during the
Gunners' 6-0 victory over Ludogorets in the Champions League on October
19.
The Spaniard has not featured since and now faces an extended spell
on the sidelines because his rehabilitation has not progressed as
hoped.
The blow comes less than 24 hours after Arsene Wenger insisted
Cazorla's return was being delayed only by inflammation, adding that he
had suffered "no setback".
Cazorla, who missed nearly five months of action with successive
knee and Achilles injuries last season, will travel to Sweden early next
week for the procedure.
After a run of seven consecutive victories ending in the thrashing
of Ludogorets, Arsenal have won four, drawn four and lost one in all
competitions since Cazorla's injury.
Last week, Wenger explained the importance of Cazorla - who has
become Arsenal's first-choice central midfielder after joining the club
as an attacking midfielder or winger - to the way his side functions.
"Santi is important to our technical stability in the team, to
the quality of our decision-making and to our build-up from deep
midfield to the high midfield," the Frenchman told reporters.
"That is an important stage because it gets the ball out from the defenders. Santi is a massive player for us.
"But we have enough quality players in our side to get around
that. We are good enough to find solutions despite the fact he is not
there."
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