Arsenal have been dealt a massive blow, with Mikel Merino set to be sidelined for several weeks, according to BBC Sport senior football correspondent Sami Mokbel. The Spaniard has reportedly suffered a serious foot injury, which caused him to miss the Gunners' 4-0 win over Leeds United on Saturday, January 31.
Merino is currently undergoing medical tests to determine the exact details. This will reportedly be publicly available within the next 48 hours. Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta recently confirmed that the 29-year-old had an issue with a bone in his foot, stating:
"He's got an issue in his foot. It's a bone that's giving him some pain, and we have some exams, we need some more specialists to look at it and to see how long he will be out."
The Gunners will be hoping for positive news as they remain in the running to win four competitions this season. Merino has been a vital part of their squad, scoring six goals and providing three assists in 33 appearances across all competitions.
If Merino is ruled out for a month, he would miss five games across all competitions. This would include Arsenal's upcoming clash against Chelsea in the second leg of the EFL Cup semi-finals on Tuesday, February 3.
"There are reasons why this team is sitting on top of the table in the Premier League" - Daniel Farke hails Arsenal as the 'best side' in Europe following 4-0 loss
Leeds United boss Daniel Farke believes Arsenal are currently the best side in Europe after his side suffered a 4-0 defeat in their Premier League clash. The Gunners had an impressive performance at Elland Road, with Martin Zubimendi, Karl Darlow (OG), Viktor Gyokeres, and Gabriel Jesus being amongst the goals.
"First of all, congratulations to Arsenal. A deserved win today so I have to say we have to accept that the better team won this game. Of course we were realistic before we faced today the best side currently in Europe. There are reasons why this team is sitting on top of the table in the Premier League, why this team is the best team currently in Europe, eight wins out of eight Champions League games."
He added:
"And of course, you need a perfect day in order to give yourself a chance and also a bit of luck that this side is perhaps not there with their best day and not super effective. But today, sadly, we didn’t have our very best day. They were on it from the first to the last second. For that, they deserved to win this game."
With their win, the Gunners remain at the top of the Premier League table with 53 points from 24 games. They hold a healthy six-point lead over second-placed Manchester City, who have a game in hand.