Arsenal will be without the services of midfielder Santi Cazorla for around three months as he requires surgery on an ankle injury.
As reported earlier today, it had been claimed that the Spanish international needed to undergo an operation to finally overcome his troublesome injury.
Sky Sports have now confirmed that the 31-year-old will travel to Sweden next week to undergo the procedure and will be ruled out for the next three months.
It will come as a huge blow for Arsene Wenger, as the Spaniard plays a crucial role in ensuring that his side tick on the pitch, helping them to play with fluidity and tempo.
In his place, the French tactician will be forced to field players with similar characteristics with the likes of Mohamed Elneny and Granit Xhaka amongst those in contention, along with Francis Coquelin and Aaron Ramsey.
However, many supporters will argue that none of those individuals can offer the same qualities as Cazorla and with Arsenal’s performances falling short of their usual standards in recent weeks, it will be a major concern for them and Wenger moving forward.
The Gunners have registered just one win in their last five games in all competitions, and with no Cazorla until February at the earliest, they will have to step up and deliver with Wenger perhaps even tempted into a small tactical reshuffle.