Cazorla has eighth ankle operation

Santi Cazorla’s injury nightmare could last an entire year after he revealed he had undergone eight operations on his ankle.

The 32-year-old admitted he could be out until October, 12 months since he last played for Arsenal in their Champions League win over Ludogorets.

“You feel like throwing in the towel but my desire to play football is above everything,” Cazorla told Spanish radio station Cadena Ser. “I haven’t been given a time frame. It’s very difficult to put a date, but I don’t think it will be before five months.”

Revealing he had gone under the knife again on Monday, he added: “I’ve undergone eight surgeries. 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.”

Cazorla, who moved to the Emirates Stadium from Malaga in 2012, said this season had been the worst of his career but praised the club for sticking by him during his drawn-out recovery.

“I remember I had a bad spell with a back problem but this is worse because it doesn’t depend on me,” he said. “Right now I can’t think about the future. I just want to return to playing.”

Despite his ankle problem, Cazorla was handed a one-year contract extension at the turn of the year and was at Wembley to celebrate Arsenal’s record 13th FA Cup triumph on Saturday.