According to reports from The Guardian, Arsenal midfielder Santi Cazorla is set to be stuck on the sidelines for the next three months with a knee injury.
The Spain international’s importance to the Gunners’ starting line-up has steadily increased since he was first deployed in central midfield by Arsene Wenger during a 2-0 win over Manchester City in January.
The 30-year-old’s experience, vision and ambipedal passing game have made him the ‘brains’ of the Arsenal starting Xi, to paraphrase The Independent, but the north London outfit will now be without their nerve centre for at least the next three months.
Cazorla suffered a knock to the knee during the Gunners’ 1-1 draw with Norwich City last weekend, courtesy of a Gary O’Neil challenge just a minute into the second half, but stayed on the pitch until the final whistle – which appears to have only made his injury worse.
The former Villarreal and Malaga star is now expected to be out for at least the next three months, joining a long list of Arsenal absentees that also includes Jack Wilshere, Mikel Arteta, Tomas Rosicky, Danny Welbeck, Alexis Sanchez and Cazorla’s regular midfield partner Francis Coquelin.
With March seen as his likeliest return date, Cazorla is set to miss Arsenal’s vital Champions League visit to Olympiacos next week as well as important Premier League clashes with Manchester City, Southampton (twice), Liverpool, Chelsea, Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur.