Arsenal rocked as Santi Cazorla is ruled out for four months with knee ligament injury

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Arsenal have been rocked by the news Santi Cazorla will miss four months with knee ligament damage.

An initial diagnosis estimated the Spaniard would miss around three months after sustaining the injury in Sunday's draw at Norwich.

However, Sportsmail understands Cazorla will spend much longer on the sidelines.

Santi Cazorla (centre) is expected to be out for four months after sustaining a knee injury against Norwich

Spaniard Cazorla (left) has ligament damage and may not return for Arsene Wenger's side until April 2016

The midfielder isn't expected back until April at the earliest, meaning he is facing a race against time to play again this season.

The news comes as a crushing blow to Arsene Wenger, who is now without both his first choice central midfielders with Francis Coquelin also a recent long-term absentee.

Wenger will now enter the market for two new midfielders in the January transfer window.

But as Sportsmail revealed on Thursday Wenger fears rival clubs will offer him inflated prices for players next month given the club's desperate injury situation.

Wenger is now without his main two central midfielders; Cazorla and Francis Coquelin are both injured

Coquelin picked up an injury in Arsenal's defeat by West Brom in November and is out until around March

Speaking on Thursday, Wenger refused to confirm the length of time Cazorla and Alexis Sanchez will be out, despite both injuries occurring on Sunday.

'At the moment we don't know how long they will be out for,' said Wenger.

Sanchez is expected to miss around three weeks with a hamstring injury; and is facing a race against time to be fit for the crunch clash against Manchester City on December 21.