Wenger Offers Injury Update On Cazorla & Sanchez As Arsenal Star Undergoes Surgery

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has confirmed Santi Cazorla has undergone surgery on his knee injury while he’s also given an update on Alexis Sanchez.

Cazorla picked up his injury during the early stages of the second half against Norwich City last weekend after clashing knee’s with midfielder Gary O’Neil near the half-way line.

The Spaniard completed the full ninety minutes at Carrow Road but it soon emerged that he’d suffered a serious knee injury and was facing an extended spell on the sidelines.

Our worst fears have now been realised as the Guardian are reporting that Cazorla has undergone surgery after leading Spanish knee specialist Dr Ramon Cugat confirmed the midfielder had ruptured his lateral collateral ligament.

Upon hearing the news ,Cazorla decided to have the operation immediately rather than seek a second opinion, and Wenger has confirmed the 30-year-old could now be out for up to four months.

The boss is quoted as saying by the Guardian:

“Santi wanted to have a chance to come back quickly so he didn’t want to last too long for 25 opinions,”

“He decided to go straight away. The guy said: ‘Look, it’s a clear case. It’s a rupture of the external knee ligament.’ And Santi said: ‘OK, let’s do it straight away.’ It’s not the season. It is at least three months out, maybe four.”

This is obviously devastating news as Cazorla has been a key figure for us this season and it looks as though we’re going to be without him until around March time, which is a huge blow to our title chances.

In a further blow, Alexis Sanchez has also been ruled out for up to a month after suffering a hamstring injury against Norwich last weekend and the 26-year-old has been given permission to head back to his native Chile to undergo treatment on the injury.

Wenger is confident Sanchez is better off in Chile rather than being ‘miserable’ here in England while he’s on the sidelines and it will also give him time to recharge his batteries. The boss continued:

“He’s used to working there with the national team physio. I think it will have a double benefit. He will not be miserable here and he will be well treated there. And it will give him a kind of mid-season break, which is what you [journalists] all wanted.”

It’s going to be a tough few weeks without Sanchez but there is still hope he could make a swift comeback and be in contention to face Manchester City on December 21st.