Arsenal recently confirmed the signing of Mikel Merino as their third transfer of the 2024 summer transfer window, bringing him in to add more steel and energy to their midfield. However, it appears that the midfielder’s debut has been delayed due to unfortunate circumstances.
Arsenal Confirm Fresh Injury to Mikel Merino
What Happened to Merino?
Mikel Arteta has confirmed that his newest signing will not be able to make his debut in their upcoming Premier League game against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday (August 31) because he picked up a freak shoulder injury in training only days after joining the Gunners.
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Ahead of the Brighton clash, Arteta revealed: “Yes, very unfortunate. Yesterday he had a collision. He has got a shoulder injury and it looks like he is going to be out for a few weeks. [It was his] first session. It looks like he has a small fracture. He was really excited and everything was looking really good. He landed on the floor and Gabi [Gabriel Magalhaes] landed on top of him and it looks like he has a small fracture probably”.
The fact that Merino has a fracture spells bad news for the midfielder. That means he might be on the treatment table for quite a period of time and there is no guarantee of him making his debut after the September international break.
Which Other Players Are on Arsenal’s Injury List?
Merino is not the only Arsenal player on the treatment table recovering from injury problems. Gabriel Jesus and Takehiro Tomiyasu are both going to miss the Gunners’ upcoming Premier League game. Arteta gave an update on the Brazilian’s forward situation, stating: “He is progressing really well. He had a little muscle injury and he is doing quite a lot of stuff already, so we expect him to be with us pretty soon”.
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However, the Spanish gaffer was unable to confirm when Tomiyasu could be expected to return, claiming: “At the moment, it’s difficult to say. It’s a bit slow the process of the first phase of that injury. It’s probably for the medical team to say more on that”. Out of these three, Arsenal will probably miss Merino the most. He has been hailed as a midfield “machine” and comes after helping Spain win the Euro 2024 title and having 13 goal contributions (eight goals, five assists) in 45 appearances for Real Sociedad last season.
