Arsenal star Santi Cazorla suffers yet another setback in recovery from achilles injury as he goes under the knife for the NINTH time to delay January comeback he hoped for

  • Santi Cazorla has undergone another operation to fix his achilles tendon
  • Arsenal midfielder complained of feeling 'discomfort' and went under the knife
  • Spaniard has now had nine operations in a year to fix the problem
  • Cazorla had hoped to return to action in January but this will be delayed
  • He almost lost his foot to gangrene infection during long and difficult recovery 

Arsenal midfielder Santi Cazorla has been forced to go under the knife again after suffering discomfort in the achilles tendon that has kept him out of action for over a year.

The Spaniard has already had multiple operations, resulting in the loss of eight centimetres from the tendon in his right ankle, and he almost lost his foot after contracting gangrene.

Now, the 32-year-old has suffered another setback in his bid to return to action in January.

Arsenal player Santi Cazorla has revealed another setback in his long recovery from an achilles tendon injury that required another surgery 

Arsenal player Santi Cazorla has revealed another setback in his long recovery from an achilles tendon injury that required another surgery 

Cazorla's skin g 

The midfielder showed off the scars left by a series of operations to fix his damaged achilles tendon, including a skin graft from the lower part of his left arm

Cazorla had been hoping to return to action in January but this will almost certainly be delayed

Cazorla had been hoping to return to action in January but this will almost certainly be delayed

Cazorla wrote on Twitter: 'Some discomfort in the tendon that had dragged in the last few days. I have had to undergo surgery.


'It is delaying the date of my return to the pitch. I maintain the hope and motivation to enjoy my great passion - football.'

The update was accompanied by a photograph of Cazorla appearing to pray while in action for Arsenal.

He hasn't played for the Gunners since October last year because of a serious achilles tendon issue that his manager Arsene Wenger described as one of the worst injuries he'd seen in football.

Cazorla hasn't played for Arsenal since last October and his manager, Arsene Wenger, described his injury as one of the worst he'd seen in football

Cazorla hasn't played for Arsenal since last October and his manager, Arsene Wenger, described his injury as one of the worst he'd seen in football

Cazorla remains confident he can return to playing for Arsenal sometime in 2018

Cazorla remains confident he can return to playing for Arsenal sometime in 2018

Interviewed by Spanish newspaper Marca earlier this month, Cazorla revealed that his foot almost had to be amputated after he contracted gangrene during his recovery from one operation.

He has gone under the knife now nine times in just over a year and needed a skin graft from his left arm that left him with a section of tattooed skin now covering his achilles injury.

Doctors told Cazorla he was fortunate to be able to walk again, let along play football at the highest level.

But this latest setback seems certain to delay his return to Premier League action with Arsenal in the new year.