Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has indicated that he did everything in his power to avoid surgery for Santi Cazorla and admits that he is not sure when the Spaniard will be back in action.
Cazorla was expected to miss a couple of games when he was taken off as a precautionary measure against Ludogorets in mid-October, but the midfielder is set to miss a few months of action.
It emerged on Thursday that the Spaniard will have to undergo foot surgery and will be out of action for at least three months, a time period Wenger admits could stretch longer.
The Arsenal boss admits that he is always trying to avoid surgery for his players because of the uncertainties involved with the rehabilitation process, but revealed he had no other options for Cazorla.
Asked about Cazorla’s surgery, the Arsenal manager said in a press conference: “For me it’s very bad news.
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“I always know the date of the surgery, but never the date when the player will play again.
"I always try to avoid surgeries, it creates a lot of anxiety and rehab, but in this case we had to come to the conclusion.
“They are telling me he will be out for two months, but two months can be three months too.”
The Arsenal boss also revealed that Olivier Giroud will not be available for Saturday's game against West Ham after picking up a knock towards the end of their win over Bournemouth last weekend.
“I thought Giroud will be available for tomorrow, but the last news I got he won’t be available and will have a scan today."
