Arsenal: Santi Cazorla injury offers perfect opportunity for returnee

Santi Cazorla has undergone surgery once again, with him now likely to be absent until October. His injury offers the perfect opportunity for Arsenal returnee Jack Wilshere.

Injuries are rarely a positive thing. They scupper player development, cost teams success and have even enforced retirement on the most unlucky. Arsenal, perhaps more than any other team, have suffered the consequences of crippling injuries pervading through their squad, and are once again on the wrong side of the fitness nightmare.

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Santi Cazorla has undergone his eighth surgery since suffering an ankle injury last October, and is now set to miss the next five months of action, which would result in a year-long absence from the game, which at 32 years of age, would undoubtedly be a difficult return to top form. In an interview on Tuesday, Cazorla stated:

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"“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.”"

The news comes as a major blow. Cazorla has been one of the most instrumental and influential players in the squad for many years. The fluency and the rhythm that he brings to the side’s passing is invaluable. His two-footedness allows him to release the ball off of either wing with great precision and at a tempo that does not allow opposing defences to sit deep and stay regimented and disciplined.

However, while the injury is extremely sad news and could be damaging for Arsenal’s success early on next season, is does offer a prime opportunity for a key returnee. Jack Wilshere endured a turbulent year-long loan at Bournemouth. There were moments where he was back to his driving, incisive best, flicking passes left and right, cutting open opposing defences, but for the most part, Wilshere could not replicate his best form consistently.

And there would be a clear path to a long run of starts as the primary, pivoting, box-to-box midfielder with Cazorla absent. Wilshere himself does have to ensure that his recovery from a broken leg is a strong one, but with early stages progressing well per reports, it is expected that he will be fit for the start of the season.

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If Wenger does still see Wilshere as the future of the Arsenal midfield, then he needs to start being given more responsibility. Cazorla’s injury, however nasty and unfortunate, offers the perfect opportunity for Wilshere.