Arsene Wenger has voiced his frustration at Santi Cazorla's ongoing injury problems, but says Arsenal have no intention of bringing in a January replacement.
The Spain international faces another two to three months on the sidelines to undergo surgery on an ankle injury, but Wenger feels Arsenal already have plenty of alternatives in midfield.
"We will not sign a replacement for Santi in January. We have many players in midfield. Plus you will not necessarily find a good replacement for Santi in January," Wenger said at a news conference.
"For me, the surgery is very bad news. You know the date of the surgery, but never when the player will be able to play again. I always try to avoid surgery, because it creates anxiety and rehab. I think when you can avoid it, you have to do so. But in this case we have reached the conclusion it is the best solution. He could be out for two to three months.
"I was optimistic about him. He has an inflammation at the back of his foot. Nobody knows where it comes from. The injections have not solved the problem. So we have decided on surgery.
"Santi is desperate to play football. He is only happy if he can play. I spoke to him and he wants to get out of this vicious circle, where he returns and then gets injured again.
"We have no regrets over the way we dealt with his situation. We have been very strong on in the injury front. We have not had many injuries. We had very few muscular injuries. We have had a few injuries we could not do anything about, like with Cazorla."
