Arsenal team news: Star midfielder Santi Cazorla unlikely to play again this season

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has stated that the Spain international Santi Cazorla is unlikely to play again this season.

The news comes as a blow to Fenerbahce who have been considering a move for the Spain international.

Turkish-Football recently revealed that Fener are plotting a move for Cazorla. However, the Istanbul based club may be wary of offering a big-money contract to an injury prone player.

Fenerbahce experinced similar issues when they signed Robin van persie from Manchester United. The Netherlands international spent much of his first season at the club sidelined with injures.

Arsenal boss Wenger has stated that Cazorla is yet to begin rehab following the midfielder’s skin graft operation.

Wenger went onto express his frustration at not being able to utilise the midfield playmaker this season.

“It’s a special problem on his calf. At the moment, the only thing I can say because I have not seen him in training, not even in fitness work, is that he’ll be short,” Wenger was quoted as saying by the Mirror.

“We are now at the beginning of March, so it is very difficult to predict. When you think that when a player starts to train after such a long time out, you have at least six weeks to be competitive for a place in the team.

“If you add six weeks today, we are already at mid-April so that means it will be short for him now.

“It is very frustrating for us because at the start of the season, he was maybe the star of the team.

“Overall it is a big loss for us but I am especially sad for him, for a guy who loves football, when football is so natural, he suffers a lot not to be on the pitch.”

Arsenal take on Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League this week and need to score at least four goals if they are to qualify. The Gunners suffered a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Liverpool on Saturday.