Cazorla: Injuries put me at risk of amputation. This season is basically my last.

Cazorla looked back on his career in an interview with L'Equipe, and specifically mentioned the serious injuries that almost forced him to retire during his time at Arsenal. The injury occurred in 2013 when he was playing for the Spanish national team against Chile.

Cazorla recalled: "I suffered a severe blow to my foot, which resulted in a fracture. From that point on, I began to receive corticosteroid injections to relieve the pain. As time went by, the pain became unbearable. I almost cried on the field playing football. I could no longer enjoy the game. When I left the field that day, I told the doctor: 'Enough is enough, we have to find a solution.'"

Cazorla underwent disc herniation surgery in the first period at Villarreal. He told of his nightmare dealings with British doctors until he met Basque trauma surgeon Miguel Sánchez, who took over the treatment of his serious ankle injury.

Cazorla recalled: "I had operations every month, 11 times in total, but no one knew what was going on. When I returned to Spain for a second opinion, my Achilles tendon was gangrenous and was about 11 centimeters long. In the UK, doctors told me I might lose it below the knee. My Spanish doctor comforted me. People often said that I was downplaying the seriousness of the injury, but in fact this denial helped me stay optimistic."

It is worth mentioning that throughout the recovery process, Cazorla always received the support of Arsenal and his then coach Wenger. The latter even extended his contract for another year while he recuperated.

Cazorla said with emotion: "I will never forget this act of human care."

Regarding the future, Cazorla said in the interview: "This will almost certainly be my last season. I hope to enjoy it, savor these last moments, and take care of myself."