Santi Cazorla participated in a light training run with Arsenal head of performance Shad Forsythe on the Emirates pitch before the club's UEFA Europa League semi-final first leg 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid.

 It had been feared the Spaniard may never walk again, let alone play football, after 10 operations over two years, to fix an injured achilles heal. At one point the 33 year-old, who last played for the Gunners in their 6-0 UEFA Champions League group stage win over Ludogorets in October 2016, faced the prospect of amputation.

Cazorla is off contract at the end of the season and the Gunners plan to monitor his fitness before committing to a new deal. 

In November the silky-skilled midfielder told Spanish newspaper Marca: 

""The doctor told me if I was able to walk with my kid on the garden I should be thankful."