New Arsenal recruit, Mikel Merino, is facing a challenging start to his tenure at the club, as he is anticipated to be sidelined for the next two months following a fractured shoulder sustained during his debut training session.
The Gunners secured Merino’s services for up to £31.6 million, but his much-anticipated debut has been delayed due to an unfortunate injury.
The setback occurred just before he was set to make his first appearance for Arsenal.
According to the Daily Mail, Merino’s injury, which resulted from a severe fall during training, will keep him off the pitch until after the October international break.
The midfielder himself was unsure about the extent of his recovery time after the training ground clash with Gabriel Magalhaes, which left him in considerable pain, as highlighted by manager Mikel Arteta.
Arteta detailed the incident, stating, “He had the incident and he carried on playing – and training. And at some point we were looking at him and thought he did not look right. That shows you how much he wanted it and he did not want to accept that was happening in that moment. But actually, that is what happened.”
Arsenal faces immediate concerns beyond Merino’s injury, particularly with Declan Rice now serving a one-game suspension following his controversial red card in the recent draw against Brighton & Hove Albion.
With Fabio Vieira having been loaned out to Porto, Arsenal’s midfield options are currently limited to Thomas Partey, Jorginho, and Martin Odegaard.
Kai Havertz, who has been making a mark as a striker, may need to revert to his midfield role to bolster the squad during this period.
