Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has been forced to make plans for the rest of the 2025/26 season without a key player after the extent of his injury became clear ahead of surgery
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Mikel Arteta won't have Mikel Merino for the rest of the season(Image: (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images))
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Arsenal will be without Mikel Merino for the rest of the season after the timeline of his recovery from a broken foot became clearer. Merino has not played since Arsenal's 3-2 loss against Manchester United on January 25 and is set to undergo surgery on his foot on Monday.
The Gunners originally said the midfielder would be out for an 'extended period' before Mikel Arteta clarified that he was expected to be out for four months. “It’s a big blow," the Arsenal manager said.
"Mikel offers something unique in the team but he’s going to be out for four months unfortunately with a very rare injury, so we need to support him, make sure that he’s very connected with the team because he can still add a lot of value to the players and the staff and keep him around.”
The seriousness of the injury was clear in the closing stages of the January transfer window when Arsenal explored the possibility of signing a central midfielder. They were reportedly contacted by Sandro Tonali's agent, while Bayern Munich's Leon Goretzka and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who was training with his former club before eventually joining Celtic, were considered.
Arsenal ended the window without signing a new midfielder, but they will be without Merino for the remainder of the 2025/26 season. Cope reports that the Spain international will undergo surgery on his foot on Monday, with the aim now becoming this summer's World Cup.
Merino hopes to return to training with Arsenal by the end of the season, so he can prove his fitness before the World Cup begins on June 11. He was present at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday to watch Arsenal's 3-0 win over Sunderland and will stay around the squad.
Explaining the nature of the injury on El Larguero, Merino's father said: "It is a stress fracture. Something more internal. It is very rare. There is a bit of uncertainty about the timing, because there is no clear history of this type of injury. Injuries never come at a good time.
Mikel Merino
Mikel Merino is now expected to miss the rest of the season(Image: Ben STANSALL / AFP via Getty Images)
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"Considering the problem he has, he is accepting the situation. Players must be prepared. It's tough. Injuries arrive like that, but you have to look on the bright side: there are injuries much worse than this one."
Arsenal's statement after Merino's injury read: "Mikel will have surgery in the coming days and will then begin his recovery and rehabilitation programme. Mikel is expected to be out of action for an extended period, with the aim of returning to full training before the end of the season.
"Everyone is fully focused on supporting Mikel to ensure he is back to full fitness as soon as possible."
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