Arsenal midfielder Santi Cazorla is to have an ankle operation that could rule him out of action for a further three months.

The 31-year-old Spain international has not played since mid-October after injuring an Achilles in Arsenal’s 6-0 Champions League win over Ludogorets.

Arsenal said on Thursday that his problem “had not progressed’’ and he would travel to Sweden next week for surgery.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Cazorla missed seven months of last season with a knee injury.

He has scored two goals in 11 games in all competitions for the Gunners this term.

Arsenal said “surgery is required to the plantaris tendon’’ in Cazorla’s right foot.(NAN)