Arsenal: Santi Cazorla Injury Opens Doors

Santi Cazorla is set to miss the rest of the season and his Arsenal future has now been thrust into doubt. The issues caused, though, do open many doors.

Injuries can derail games, seasons and even careers. The likes of Dean Ashton, Abou Diaby and Michael Johnson all saw their careers scuppered due to a relentless onslaught of injuries throughout their footballing lives. The prolonged absence that injuries bring are issues that Arsenal regularly have to deal with and Arsene Wenger has become adept at navigating the stormy waters of a long and arduous season.

Related Story: Arsene Wenger's Best Starting XI

Just this year, Danny Welbeck has missed almost all of the season, as has Per Mertesacker, while Hector Bellerin, Theo Walcott and Lucas Perez have all been unable to stay match fit throughout the season.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

• 3 observations from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park
• 3 standout players from 1-0 victory over Everton
• 3 positives & negatives from Goodison Park victory
• Arsenal vs PSV preview: Prediction, team news & lineups
• 3 talking points from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park

Nonetheless, perhaps the man most hampered by his own body this season has been Santi Cazorla. The Spanish midfield underwent ankle surgery in early December and has now been ruled out for the remainder of the season thanks to complications with his rehabilitation. It is a major blow for the Gunners, one that will be difficult to overcome, but it does open doors for others in the squad.

Granit Xhaka may now shoulder much of the responsibility to control the central midfield area, Francis Coquelin will be tested without his usual partner alongside him while Aaron Ramsey will, after he is able to overcome his own injury issues, hope to reignite his worryingly stagnating career.

The man with the biggest opportunity, though, in Cazorla’s absence is Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. During Xhaka’s untimely suspension, Wenger was forced into shifting Chamberlain centrally thanks to a crisis of personnel. Since the five-goal dismantling of Southampton in the FA Cup fourth round, Chamberlain has acquitted himself well in the position that he has often spouted as his more comfortable.

His ball retention has been excellent, his distribution accurate and purposeful and, although playing in a deeper role, has not abandoned his willingness to drive forward with the ball at his feet, committing defenders and creating space for those around him.

Next: Top 15 Most Ridiculous Transfer Sagas

Playing as a true box-to-box midfielder, Chamberlain is reshaping his future. For that, he has Cazorla to thank, as, with the Spaniard set to stay on the sidelines for the foreseeable future, Arsenal’s new central midfield star is opening a great many doors for himself and his career.