Mikel Merino, the new signing for Arsenal, will miss a number of important games due to a shoulder injury that may keep him out of action until mid-October. The injury happened in the Spanish international’s first training session after joining Arsenal for £31.6 million from Real Sociedad in the last week of the summer transfer window.
Instead of making his debut during Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with Brighton, Merino was seen in the Emirates Stadium stands, his right arm in a sling. The injury—a fractured shoulder—occurred after a collision with teammate Gabriel Magalhaes.
Arsenal now expect Merino to be out until after the forthcoming international break in October, according to reports from MailOnline. Accordingly, the midfield player might make his Arsenal debut on October 20 against Bournemouth in the Premier League or on October 22 against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League.
Merino is currently anticipated to miss seven crucial games for the Gunners. These include the eagerly awaited September 15 North London derby against Tottenham, September 22 difficult Premier League away to Manchester City, and October 1 home match against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.
Mikel Arteta, the manager of Arsenal, expressed his disappointment over Merino’s injury, calling it a case of unfortunate circumstances. “It’s quite regrettable,” Arteta remarked.
“He got into a collision during his first session with us and hurt his shoulder. It appears that he will be absent for several weeks. Everything appeared to be going well, and we were all thrilled, but he landed awkwardly, causing Gabriel to fall on top of him and seemingly break his arm. He was in a lot of pain, and further testing will be necessary to obtain definitive results.
