Due to a multitude of injury problems, Arsenal’s little Spanish maestro Santi Cazorla only played 7 League games for the Gunners this season, and only played 15 in the previous campaign, so you imagine that the 32 year-old is close to finishing his career at the top. But while Cazorla was on the operating table, Arsene Wenger gave the midfielder a one-year extension to his contract in the hope that he would be able to rejoin the team next season.
But it is now looking like a forlorn hope, as Santi has just revealed the extent of his problems, and has now had yet another operation this week which will keep him out for at least ANOTHER five months, if not even longer, so perhaps it’s time for him to accept his retirement gracefully? “You feel like throwing in the towel,” he said. “but my desire to play football is above everything.
“I haven’t been given a timeframe [to return to action]. It’s very difficult to put a date, but I don’t think it will be before five months.
“It’s been since October that I last played. I’ve undergone eight surgeries, the last one yesterday [Monday].
“I hope that things go better.”
“I’ve had complications since November.
“I got a bacterial infection in surgery, my bone got infected, the wound would not close and I had a graft done.
“I remember I had a bad spell with a back problem [while with Villarreal in 2010] but this is worse because it [healing] doesn’t depend on me.
“Right now I can’t think about the future, I just want to return to play.”
“They [Arsenal] have been very good to me.
“”They gave me a contract extension before I had my surgery [in December]. The coach [Arsene Wenger] spoke to me and reassured me.”
That was very loyal and generous of Arsenal to give Cazorla an extra few million while he is on the treatment table, but perhaps Wenger should have waited until this summer (as he has with all our other contracts!) before assessing his recovery? As much I would love to have him back playing at his best it is becoming extremely unlikely that that is going to happen ever again. I don’t begrudge him the money, unless it means that he is taking up a useless space in the squad that could go to someone younger and fitter.
Is it time to face the fact that Cazorla is now past his sell-by-date….
Darren N