Mikel Merino has returned to training with Arsenal, but Jurrien Timber remains absent in the build-up to the final game of the Premier League campaign.
PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC: Mikel Merino of Arsenal celebrates scoring his team's third goal during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD4 match between SK Slavia Praha and Arsenal FC at Eden Arena on November 04, 2025. (Photo by Gabriel Kuchta/Getty Images)
Photo by Gabriel Kuchta/Getty Images
Arsenal are back in training after confirming the Premier League title on Tuesday, and the good news is that Mikel Merino was involved in Thursday’s session at London Colney.
The players welcomed the Spanish midfielder back to training with the traditional tunnel slaps, with Arsenal seemingly now down to just two injured players ahead of Sunday’s game against Crystal Palace.
Jurrien Timber is one of them, remaining absent despite ongoing hopes that he might feature in the Champions League final next weekend. Ben White is the other, with the right-back out for the season.
Ben White of Arsenal leaves the pitch after picking up an injury during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Arsenal at London Stadium on May 10, 2026
Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
Bukayo Saka, David Raya, and William Saliba also weren’t part of the session, but Simon Collings reports that the trio aren’t injured, just inside doing individual training.
That’s good news on the Raya front, as the goalkeeper had taken a heavy fall during Arsenal’s win over Burnley earlier in the week.
Raya insisted afterwards that despite a “dead back, a dead glute, and a dead shoulder” he’d “be fine”. It seems that’s the case, but Arsenal are evidently giving the 30-year-old some time to fully recover in individual training.
David Raya of Arsenal waves to the fans after the team's victory in the Premier League match between Arsenal and Burnley at Emirates Stadium on May 18, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
Whether or not Raya starts for Arsenal this weekend will be interesting to see.
On the one hand, the Premier League title is wrapped up, so this is now a low-stakes fixture. Mikel Arteta could give Kepa Arrizabalaga or Tommy Setford a game, allowing Raya to rest up for the Champions League final.
On the other, Raya is on the verge of setting a new Arsenal record for the most Premier League clean sheets in a single season. One more would do it, so he may want to remain in the lineup to achieve that piece of history.
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