Arsene Wenger is still hopeful that Santi Cazorla will return to the Arsenal team in 2018 as the Spanish midfielder embarked on his first running session today.

Cazorla has not played for 11 months and has undergone a series of procedures on his right ankle from which he has struggled to recover. Cazorla, once such an important player for Arsenal, has been left out of the Europa League group stage squad, a sign that Wenger has no faith in him getting fit before Christmas.

But Wenger struck a more positive note today, saying that Cazorla was on his way back to training and should be ready later this season. “Santi is having his first run today, so that is quite positive,” Wenger said. “The flexibility of his ankle looks good, his mobility is good and now it’s back to getting back to full fitness without having any set-backs. So it’s very difficult to predict when he will be available again.”

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Shape Created with Sketch. How could Arsenal line up this season? Show all 12 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. How could Arsenal line up this season? 1/12 How could Arsenal line up next season? How could Arsenal line up next season? Getty 2/12 GK: Petr Cech Cech may have been dropped for the FA Cup final, but the experienced shot-stopper is unlikely to lose his Premier League place anytime soon. The goalkeeper will turn 36 next season and yet he remains one of Arsenal’s best players. Getty 3/12 WB: Hector Bellerin Struggled for form towards the end of last season but still one of the best full-backs in the country. Offers pace and power down the wing. Getty 4/12 CB: Shkodran Mustafi The German defender enjoyed a solid debut campaign in English football, making 37 appearances in all competitions for the club. Still only 25 and will improve next season, with a year of English football already under his belt. Getty 5/12 CB: Laurent Koscielny His poor discipline cost Arsenal in a couple of vital games, but he remains an important, influential player. There have been rumours Marseille have made Koscielny their top transfer target this summer, but it is highly unlikely Arsenal will sell. Getty 6/12 CB: Rob Holding After impressing with his maturity and composure in a back-three last season, there's every chance Arsene Wenger could place his faith in the youngster once again for the new campaign. Getty 7/12 WB: Sead Kolasinac Arsenal’s first signing of the summer. A versatile 23-year-old defender, Kolasinac plays predominantly at left-back but expect Wenger to have him push on. Getty 8/12 CDM: Granit Xhaka Attracted a lot of criticism for his displays last season, but grew in confidence throughout the campaign and has the talent to become a vital player for Arsenal over the coming seasons. A superb distributor of the ball. Getty 9/12 CM: Santi Cazorla One of Arsenal's most technically-gifted players and the glue that keeps the side's midfield together. Doubts over his fitness and whether he's got another season left in him, but should he be firing on all cylinders Wenger will want to make full use of him. Getty 10/12 LCM: Mesut Ozil Still negotiating a contract extension with the club. His performance levels dipped alarmingly last season, but when he is in form, he remains one of the finest passers of the ball in the world. Getty 11/12 RCM: Riyad Mahrez Mahrez recently announced his intentions to leave Leicester this summer and Wenger refused to rule out a move for the Premier League champion. Mahrez would bring real flair to Arsenal's side, as well as the ability to make something out of nothing. Getty 12/12 CF: Alexandre Lacazette The instinctive centre-forward that Arsenal have longed for ever since Robin van Persie's departure. Industrious and physical, he'll bring a tough edge to Arsenal's front line. Getty 1/12 How could Arsenal line up next season? How could Arsenal line up next season? Getty 2/12 GK: Petr Cech Cech may have been dropped for the FA Cup final, but the experienced shot-stopper is unlikely to lose his Premier League place anytime soon. The goalkeeper will turn 36 next season and yet he remains one of Arsenal’s best players. Getty 3/12 WB: Hector Bellerin Struggled for form towards the end of last season but still one of the best full-backs in the country. Offers pace and power down the wing. Getty 4/12 CB: Shkodran Mustafi The German defender enjoyed a solid debut campaign in English football, making 37 appearances in all competitions for the club. Still only 25 and will improve next season, with a year of English football already under his belt. Getty 5/12 CB: Laurent Koscielny His poor discipline cost Arsenal in a couple of vital games, but he remains an important, influential player. There have been rumours Marseille have made Koscielny their top transfer target this summer, but it is highly unlikely Arsenal will sell. Getty 6/12 CB: Rob Holding After impressing with his maturity and composure in a back-three last season, there's every chance Arsene Wenger could place his faith in the youngster once again for the new campaign. Getty 7/12 WB: Sead Kolasinac Arsenal’s first signing of the summer. A versatile 23-year-old defender, Kolasinac plays predominantly at left-back but expect Wenger to have him push on. Getty 8/12 CDM: Granit Xhaka Attracted a lot of criticism for his displays last season, but grew in confidence throughout the campaign and has the talent to become a vital player for Arsenal over the coming seasons. A superb distributor of the ball. Getty 9/12 CM: Santi Cazorla One of Arsenal's most technically-gifted players and the glue that keeps the side's midfield together. Doubts over his fitness and whether he's got another season left in him, but should he be firing on all cylinders Wenger will want to make full use of him. Getty 10/12 LCM: Mesut Ozil Still negotiating a contract extension with the club. His performance levels dipped alarmingly last season, but when he is in form, he remains one of the finest passers of the ball in the world. Getty 11/12 RCM: Riyad Mahrez Mahrez recently announced his intentions to leave Leicester this summer and Wenger refused to rule out a move for the Premier League champion. Mahrez would bring real flair to Arsenal's side, as well as the ability to make something out of nothing. Getty 12/12 CF: Alexandre Lacazette The instinctive centre-forward that Arsenal have longed for ever since Robin van Persie's departure. Industrious and physical, he'll bring a tough edge to Arsenal's front line. Getty

Ultimately Wenger did not want to put a time on when Cazorla would be ready again. When Cazorla first felt his injury Wenger hoped to have him back in a matter of weeks, but his absence will now extend to more than a year.

“Overall, I think it’s very difficult to set a time,” Wenger said. “Not before Christmas, that’s why I didn’t involve him in the Europa League, but overall I hope that after Christmas he will be available.”

Wenger hopes Cazorla can come back and run the midfield for Arsenal like he used to, but admitted that he does not know if that will be possible. “He has not played for over a year now,” Wenger said. “He’s had a few surgeries so you are always cautious to set a time or date, but overall, yes it looks positive.”

Cazorla’s last game for Arsenal was a Champions League game against Ludogorets on 19 October 2016, when he sustained the injury. Arsenal had hoped that the inflammation he felt would heal but he was eventually sent for surgery on the plantaris tendon on his right foot in Sweden in December.

The previous season Cazorla missed almost six months with a knee ligament injury, an absence that saw Arsenal’s title challenge tail off.

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