Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has claimed that Santi Cazorla as the "star of the team" before he was struck down with a troublesome Achilles injury.

The Spanish midfielder suffered a knock in October and from that point has undergone a handful of operations and setbacks.

It is unlikely that Cazorla will return to action before the end of the season, and his absence has impacted on the Gunners' campaign.

Arsenal have dropped out of the Premier League title race and face a battle to finish in the top four as just five points separate second from sixth.

"I haven't seen him in training or even doing fitness work," Wenger told reporters in Thursday's press conference. "It's possible [that he could return] but we have to see how he heals. Once his scars [heal] then he can practice normally but it's not done and we're in March now so it will be difficult.

"You need six weeks [of training] to be competitive to play in the first team and that would take us to mid-April so it will be very short. It's frustrating for us because at the start of the season he was the star of the team. Overall it's a big loss but it's especially sad for him. He loves football, it's very natural to him and he suffers a lot not being on the pitch."

Arsenal, who sit fourth in the standings, will take on Liverpool in the late kickoff on Saturday.