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Report: Arsenal hopes to get Santi Cazorla fit by August

Action Images via Reuters / Andrew Couldridge Livepic

Santi Cazorla's repeated operations on his troublesome ankle have apparently rendered him unfit for the rest of the season.

The Arsenal midfielder, 32, is already undergoing preparations to be ready for first-team action for the start of the 2017-18 campaign, according to The Mirror's John Cross, after several surgeries which included transplanting a part of his arm into his ankle.

The Spaniard hasn't been fit for involvement since October, when he assisted for Mesut Ozil in a 6-0 rout of Ludogorets Razgrad before going off injured, vacating an area of the park that has attracted some of the most ferocious criticism of Arsene Wenger's throng. The deeper midfield roles have looked susceptible at times due to Francis Coquelin's generally questionable output, Granit Xhaka's indiscipline, and Mohamed Elneny's promise not quite reaching the form required for a Premier League title charge.

In addition to potentially winning more tackles and interceptions in the midfield, Cazorla's composure and creativity have shown him able to turn defence into attack in an instant. In 2014-15, the last term he featured regularly in an Arsenal shirt, he laid on 11 assists and scored seven in 37 top-flight appearances.

With Arsene Wenger allowing Cazorla to switch his attention to next season, Cross notes that an exit for the veteran is unlikely. Arsenal has allegedly exercised a clause in his contract to extend his stay until the summer of 2018.

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