Santi Cazorla has been forced to abandon hopes of a return in January after he had surgery for a ninth time.

The Arsenal midfielder, who has not played since October 2016, suffered another setback just as he appeared to be entering the final phase of his rehabilitation.

“As a result of some discomfort in the tendon that I had been suffering in recent days, I have had to go into theatre again,” Cazorla wrote on Twitter.

Santi Cazorla’s arm tattoo moved to ankle – because Arsenal ace needed extra skin to SAVE his foot [Image: Mirror]

The 32-year-old, who has 77 Spain caps, has to start over again in what has been a long, painful and complex process that began with a seemingly innocuous ankle knock picked up in a friendly against Chile in 2013.

Arsène Wenger described Cazorla’s injury as the worst he had seen. A knee ligament injury was followed by surgery on an Achilles tendon.

An infection, initially undetected and not treated, damaged the bone and saw him lose eight centimetres of the tendon.

He underwent reconstructive surgery, with skin grafted from a forearm – where a tattoo spelt out his daughter’s name – on to his ankle.

In a startling interview with the Spanish newspaper Marca, Cazorla revealed doctors told him there was a risk of losing the leg.

He has also been told to be satisfied if he managed to “walk around the garden” but remains determined to play again.

He has not been registered by Arsenal this season and has been working with physios in Salamanca, away from his family who remain in London.