Santi Cazorla has revealed that he’s had skin from his arm grafted onto his ankle after a wound, resulting from a December operation on his plantaris tendon, failed to heal.

The Spain international has also confirmed that the latest procedure, undertaken in Sweden, has left him stuck on crutches and unlikely to play again this season.

“I had to have a minor operation to close the scar that had opened,” Cazorla told Spanish radio station Onda Cero.

“It was nothing serious but I still had to go to the hospital [on Thursday afternoon].

“I had a graft done on my ankle a month-and-a-half ago because the skin on my ankle was practically dead and that was the reason why the wound would not close when I first had my operation in Sweden.

“Everything was going well until I started to do some exercises on the bicycle. The skin opened again and the stitches gave in. We hope this is the last one and I can return as soon as possible.

“I can’t do anything, that is the worst thing about this situation, that it doesn’t depend on me,” he added.

“It’s not a case of how much work I put in, I need for the wound to close. I just have to wait to see how the new skin that they took from my arm adapts.

“I now have to wait two weeks to see if the wound and the scar close. That is my biggest concern. I know I have to be optimistic and deal with it in the best possible way.”

Cazorla, who was a mainstay of Arsene Wenger’s starting lineups in the opening part of the season, has been badly missed during the middle portion of the season. He too is missing his teammates and the cut and thrust of life in the Premier League.

“I want to return as soon as possible,” he said. “I miss going to training, being with my teammates and playing. Right now I have to stay at home, move with crutches and it’s a difficult situation to deal with.

“I still have one year left on my contract and my only desire is to return to playing and to compete at the highest level.”

Arseblog News wishes Santi all the best, we miss his dancing feet and his little smile.