Santi Cazorla out of contention until 2018 as Arsenal name their Premier League squad for months ahead

Santi Cazorla is highly unlikely to feature for Arsenal until 2018 after he was left out of the club’s Premier League squad for the coming season.

Whilst Cazorla could theoretically play in Arsenal’s EFL Cup or Europa League games his absence from the 25-man party would suggest that he will probably not be seen in action before the new year.

Arsenal would still be able to register Cazorla for their Premier League squad in January though they would be obliged to remove one of the current group, which includes a quartet of goalkeeper.

Standard Sport understands that Arsenal are still not putting a timescale on Cazorla’s recovery nearly a year after his ongoing Achilles problem flared up in a 6-0 Champions League group stage win over Ludogorets.

Cazorla has since undergone eight separate operations, partly due to a bacterial infection that affected his bone. Arsenal, though, have stood by their playmaker and activated a one-year extension clause to take his contract through to next summer.

The 32-year-old has stepped up his recovery in recent months and recently expressed a hope that his return would be “soon”.

Arsene Wenger’s squad for the new season includes exile Mathieu Debuchy, unable to find a new club despite having been made available for transfer by Arsenal, whilst goalkeepers Matt Macey and Deyan Iliev join Petr Cech and David Ospina.