Human ‘jigsaw’ Santi Cazorla on injury hell and ‘unfinished business’ at Arsenal
Villarreal's midfielder has made his comeback this season after 11 operations in two years
SANTI CAZORLA has "unfinished business" with Arsenal after the injury-plagued midfielder was unable to bid farewell to the Emirates faithful.
Cazorla, who describes himself as a "jigsaw", had 11 operations in two years before making his comeback at Villarreal this season.
The 33-year-old was not happy with the way his six-year association at Arsenal came to an end.
He told : "I have parts of my body where they've put skin from my arm on my ankle and from my thigh on my arm.
"So it's like a little jigsaw, parts of my body all over the place.
"From then on, I could never wear the Arsenal shirt again, and it's that feeling of unfinished business that stays with me.
"I'd always said if I ever had to leave the club I would say my goodbyes right in front of the supporters, because they have always treated me incredibly well."
The problems began for Cazorla five years ago in 2013 during an international friendly for Spain against Chile.
He added: "I got kicked on the ankle and from then on I began to have problems."
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Cazorla says he would "suffer from pain everyday" but endured it for three years until a Champions League group game against Ludogrets when he couldn't continue.
An infection had led to bacteria eating away at eight centimetres of Cazorla's tendon.
Two years and 11 operations on, Cazorla has played in four of the five games Villarreal have had so far this season.