Another day and another injury, fans feared the worst when they saw Santi Cazorla limp off against Norwich and with knee ligament damage the Spaniard will be out of action till March 2016. This is a major blow for Arsenal as the pair of Coquelin and Cazorla had done so well since the start of the season and now both face some time out of the starting XI.
Fortunately for Arsenal they are close to the winter transfer window. Although Arsene Wenger hasn’t really always bought many players in the window, the injury crisis could well force his hand into making a dip.
With many crucial games coming in at the start of the New Year and Arsenal still challenging on a few fronts, we look at 5 replacements that could play in place of Santi Claus-orla. Sorry, it’s the Christmas spirit that’s gotten us.
Ilkay Gundagon
The 25-year-old German might be a little expensive but certainly would provide Arsenal great cover for a number of years. Gundagon has the vision and ability to turn matches on their head and also plays in a similar vein to Cazorla. The German could be tempted with a move to Arsenal but the transfer amount could well be a stumbling block.
Isco
Isco hasn’t had a great career at Real Madrid; the 23-year-old is in and out of the team and could well want a fresh challenge to reassert his career. The Spaniard would be an ideal replacement for the injured Cazorla and could well be one of the players willing to make a move in the winter transfer window, plus he wouldn’t cost as much as people expect.
Miralem Pjanic
The Roma midfielder has it all to play in the heart of the midfield. He can play that all-important through ball and find the attacker with a great range of passing. He also makes great runs and can score from the dead ball situation. A good pay package could well be the clincher to bring Pjanic to Arsenal this winter window.
Aaron Ramsey
We don’t really know why Arsene plays Ramsey down the right in the attacking trio. Time and time again we have seen him do better in the middle of the park and his energy, distribution and runs could well provide Arsenal with another dimension or at least a suitable replacement for Cazorla. The Welshman would cherish his role in the middle but the final decision stays with Arsene.
Jack Wilshere
Well Wilshere hasn’t really played a lot of football but he could make his return before the turn of the New Year. The English midfielder still hasn’t found his best position but playing in a deeper role does suit him and that could well be his way to get back into the team. Wilshere is only 23-years-old and could well provide Arsenal with the lift that they need as they challenge for the Premier League crown.