Spain midfielder, Mikel Merino, is eager to make his full debut for Arsenal and provide a much-needed boost as the club faces a series of crucial fixtures.
Given Arsenal’s ongoing injury struggles this season, it’s understandable that Mikel Arteta might have been hoping hid squad would avoid international duty in October.
In September, Martin Odegaard sustained an ankle injury while playing for Norway, and more recently, both Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli were sidelined with muscle problems picked up during international games. This has added to Arteta’s injury headaches.
However, in the case of Mikel Merino, Arteta likely welcomed his involvement with the Spanish national team over the past two weeks.
After joining Arsenal from Real Sociedad in August for a fee exceeding £30 million, Merino’s time at the club has been far from ideal.
During his first training session, the 28-year-old midfielder suffered a shoulder injury, which delayed his much-anticipated debut until earlier this month.
Despite this setback, Merino managed to make two substitute appearances for the Gunners just before the international break, which paved the way for further playing time with Spain.
His national team stint allowed him to get vital minutes under his belt, featuring 28 minutes as a substitute in Spain’s 1-0 victory over Denmark on Saturday.
He then earned his first start of the season for Spain, playing just over an hour in their commanding 3-0 win over Serbia on Tuesday.
Having completed his first start for Spain this season, Merino will now be aiming for a full debut with Arsenal when they take on Bournemouth this weekend.
Fans have already caught glimpses of the midfielder’s abilities during his brief appearances, and Arteta is enthusiastic about the contributions Merino can make moving forward.
