Arsene Wenger says the injury that has kept Santi Cazorla sidelined since September last year is the worst he’s known in his entire time in football.
The Spanish midfielder revealed recently that he’s undergone eight operations to heal his Achilles and that doctors feared they may have to amputate his foot following a particularly aggressive infection.
Asked about Santi’s situated ahead of Saturday’s North London derby, Wenger couldn’t hide his sadness at the turn of events.
“It is [the worst injury I’ve seen]. Honestly, it is. Yes. It is the worst injury I’ve know, starting with a little pain on the Achilles. It’s gone worse to worse.
“I must say, I know how much Santi Cazorla loves to play football and loves to be out there every day. I feel really sorry for what happened to him because it’s unbelievable.
“I wish [that he’ll be back in January]. The last time I saw him was one month ago, he came here. I told him to prepare as well as he can, he has competent medical people around him, and to try to practise.
“I have not spoken to him recently but I hope he comes back. I left him out of the squad hoping he’d be available in January, that was my target.”
In his interview with Marca, Cazorla spoke about the skin grafts, taken from his arm, that have been used on his foot. He also revealed that doctors warned him that his career could be over. It’s something that Wenger refused to countenance.
“Let’s not talk about that,” said the boss. “But I hope that you are wrong.”
So do we.
Some needs to stop running over black cats at Arsenal
Someone
I love how Wenger can give an injury update without actually giving anything away. Tottenham had most of their players stay back so they’ll be fresh and ready to go. Ozil, Iwobi, Lacazette all did well on international duty, but if anyone of them isn’t 100% fit whether fatigue or jet lag, I wouldn’t risk it. If welbeck’s 100% fit then I’d play him, his energy and pace could be useful when pressing their defence and getting in behind. Id also play Sanchez along with one of Ozil and Lacazette. I’d also go for wilshere in midfield, I wish Wenger… Read more »
I would not play Sanchez. He has been in shocking form.
I’d like Theo to start. He loves it against the cunts.
Sanchez had the internationals off and will be fit and ready to go.
Theo over Sanchez? Come off it.
TBF, you have a point… Alexis is miles better on any 363 days of the year.. but when playing the scum, Theo seems to get lucky-fumbly for us.
He’s on the mend..the question is what level of mend… it’s down to Santi’s will,determination and partly luck of the gods if/when he’s back..nobody can tell that yet.
Get a life bro
Oooooh Santi Cazorla………………. Come back strong Little Magician.
Make him the manager!
Santi is such a Character! Truly hope we see him again in an Arsenal shirt this season!
And it’s the clubs medical team fault at letting it progress to such state!
I understand the downvotes, but you can see how many injuries we’ve had over the years and many of them are taking much more time to heal than they should…
And yet none of them have been told they might lose a limb.
Santi has been both incredibly unlucky to endure such a terrible complication, and incredibly lucky to retain his limb and potentially resurrect his career.
I wish him a sustained recovery, and I am proud to support a club that stands by players during their most desperate times the way that we do.
In his interview with Marca he describes how the wound opened up and they told he was ok to play! I’m not a doctor but surely someone at the club has to take some blame for this! Downvote all you like!
The operations were not carried out by the club but by a third party, which from all reports is where he picked up the infection which has lead to a lot of these issues. It is fair to say the club or our medical staff can’t really be held accountable for that. It is a popular narrative that we have a bad medical team, but in fairness if you look at Koscielny as an example, he has been readily available for the first team this season despite his ongoing achilles problem, a few days away with France and he is… Read more »
Flinging unfounded angry blame around doesn’t help Santi.
OK, I’m a fan of Santi, no doubt. But please, there are other much more important (now) topics than his shape? He’s not going to be back this season, let’s open our eyes. So basta Santi, see you next season (maybe), good luck and let’s move on and address the REAL problems!
“Real” problems? You think losing some matches and having a manager that should probably have left a while ago are “real” problems when compared to a man that has sustained life-altering injuries and an infection that could have seen his foot amputated?
Well said my West Stand friend.
Santi, we love you and are collectively gutted for what you’re going through. There will be joyous tears when you return.
If this is what you are thinking then just go to the other articles. You didn’t have to read this. And while you’re reading them, perhaps consider picking up a little compassion and empathy along the way.
My favourite player.
A real joy to watch
We’ve still not found a way to balance our team without him
Get well soon Santi.
I was really expecting this to rhyme.
That’s modern poetry for you.
This, coming from a man who has seen ALOT of injuries during his time at arsenal doesn’t inspire me with confidence about Santi ever getting back to his best.
Horrible feeling we aren’t going to see him playing for us again. Shame, he was our most important player.
If Aaron Ramsey could come back and score 15+ goals in a season and be the match winner in 2 FA cups then it’s not impossible for Santi Cazorla to come back and win trophies with us.
Obviously, at nearly 33, he wont play for Arsenal again, or probably any other club with that injury. He’s been a decent player, but not the messiah. Had he never been injured Arsenal won’t have competed for anything major, just like they didn’t when he was fit.
Good luck to him in the future, but I would imagine he knows his PL career at least is over.
Arsenal’s best football (and winning football) over the last few years has been with Santi in the team. He is the most talented football at Arsenal – just ask the lads themselves. We are a different outfit with him orchestrating the play. He made Coquelin look like our best DM since Vieira! Santi made everyone play better in fact. Huge loss, but I will not lose hope in seeing him play again for the Arsenal!
Actually I think we’d have won the league in Leicester’s year if Santi has stayed fit. We have very few people that can turn defence into attack so quickly by side stepping an opposition midfielder.
And regardless of trophies, football is all the more a spectacle when you see players do things that we can’t. I have never seen anyone else able to hit cross field balls or even corners equally well with both feet. The fact he did it all with a smile on his face, makes his injury problems all the more poignant.
This is the same crap Wenger comes out with. If so and so would have been fit X, Y, Z would have happened lol. Cazorla had three and a half full seasons and Arsenal never looked like competing for a major trophy in that time. Are we really expected to believe Cazorla + Coquelin was the goose that lais the golden egg? Did you even analyse the games they played together and who they were against? Look, I like Santi. Very good player on his day. Great attitude. Very likeable individual, but let’s gets real, Arsenal would be no better… Read more »
The man nearly lost his fucking foot and this is the stain you spill out? If you’re incapable of empathy then just sit on your hands or don’t open the article in the first place. Christ I really dislike the shit attitude of some arsenal supporters.
Some people would go for a beer if their brother had an accident and is intensive care.
Arsenal have the worst injury record.
I hope we keep him on in some kind of role and continue to support him after his contract expires. The man almost lost his foot for The Arsenal, I think he deserves as much help as he needs
Possibly one of the best players ive seen in an arsenal shirt, and he always comes across as such a lovely guy, its such a horrible story, I really hope we get to see him play again
Come on Cazorlaaa!!! You can beat this!! You savage beaver!