Mikel Merino Suffers Rare Fracture, Season at Risk at Arsenal

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta confirmed that Spanish midfielder Mikel Merino has a rare fracture in his right foot and will need surgery, putting the rest of his season in serious jeopardy.

“We hope it goes well, but he has to go through surgery, which is never positive. He is a very important player for us, and this is a big blow,” Arteta said in a press conference, adding that the injury is very rare and will be carefully monitored.

Merino was injured last week in the loss to Manchester United and was unavailable for the Champions League match against Kairat Almaty or the league victory over Leeds United.

Arsenal officially announced that the Spaniard will undergo surgery and will be out for an extended period, with hopes of returning before the end of the season.

With Merino sidelined, a regular call-up for Spain’s national team coach Luis de la Fuente, Arteta acknowledged that the club will need to explore options in the winter transfer window before it closes in the coming hours.

“My day today is going to be busier than usual. When you lose such an important player and are competing in four competitions, you have to do everything possible to see if someone is available. If not, we move forward with what we have,” added the Spanish coach.