Spain manager Vicente Del Bosque has revealed that he did not select Santi Cazorla in his provisional Euro 2016 squad simply because the playmaker had been injured for so long.
The 31-year-old picked up a knee injury back in November 2015 in the 1-1 draw with Norwich City, which turned out to keep him sidelined for much longer than many initially forecasted.
Cazorla missed 22 Premier League games due to the injury and only returned to the Arsenal first team on the final day of the campaign, starting in the win over Aston Villa and playing 87 minutes.
However, Cazorla’s return was not enough to prompt Del Bosque to include the former Malaga midfielder in the squad he announced earlier on Tuesday.
Like Chelsea striker Diego Costa, Del Bosque simply revealed that Cazorla’s injury problems – coupled with Spain’s strength in depth – meant there was no place for the Arsenal playmaker.
“Cazorla situation is very much like Diego [Costa] – he has been out five months, and whilst he made great effort to be ready in time for the Euros, we couldn’t have many doubts (about his fitness),” Del Bosque said at his press conference.
Cazorla’s spell on the sidelines for the majority of the season has led to speculation about his future at Arsenal, with reports that former club Villarreal could look to bring him back to the El Madrigal.
The 31-year-old joined Arsenal from Malaga back in 2011 and has proven to be one of Arsene Wenger’s most shrewd acquisitions over the years.
COMMENTS