Arsenal's Cazorla cannot give time frame for return from injury

MADRID (Reuters) - Arsenal midfielder Santi Cazorla cannot give a timeline on his return from injury after undergoing a minor procedure on his right ankle on Thursday, after the scar from surgery in December opened when he was cycling.

(Reuters)

The Spain international has not played since Oct. 19 and was expected to rejoin the squad in the next few weeks.

"Everything was going well until I started to do some exercises on the bicycle and the stitches gave in," Cazorla told Spanish radio station Onda Cero. "I had to have a minor operation to close the scar on Thursday afternoon.

"I had a graft done a month-and-a-half ago because the skin on my ankle was practically dead and that was the reason why the wound would not close when I first had my operation in Sweden.

"We hope this is the last one and I can return as soon as possible."

The 32-year-old played 11 matches for Arsenal this season.

"I still have one year left on my contract and my only desire is to return to playing and to compete at the highest level," he said.

(Reporting by Adriana Garcia; Editing by Louise Ireland)