Arsenal - Emirates Stadium
Arsenal - Emirates Stadium
Arsenal injury news: Merino back on the grass ahead of Budapest final
Arsenal injury news: Mikel Merino has handed Arsenal a significant lift by returning to first-team training on Thursday, 22 May, after more than five months away from the pitch following surgery on a fractured foot sustained in January. The timing could hardly be more dramatic. Arsenal face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest on 30 May, with the Gunners chasing their first European crown since 2006.
Speaking at Arsenal‘s media day, the 29-year-old Spaniard described the moment he walked back onto the training pitch with genuine emotion. His teammates welcomed him back with the customary tunnel of slaps, and Arsenal legend Robert Pires was also present to witness the session.
Arteta himself participated in the drills, pressing Merino through exercises and delivering crosses for the midfielder to attack. Merino is expected to return to full training on Friday, and he confirmed his ambition to feature against Crystal Palace on Sunday in the final Premier League fixture of the season.
The injury itself was far from straightforward. Arsenal confirmed at the time that Merino required surgery on a bone injury to his right foot, sustained during the home defeat to Manchester United on 25 January. He described a stress fracture in a location specialists had never encountered before, which left genuine uncertainty over his recovery path and his prospects of returning at all this season. Unable to put weight on the foot for two months, he used a mobility scooter to walk his dog and maintain some semblance of normality. Merino is listed in Arsenal’s squad for the Champions League final.
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Arsenal injury news: What does the return mean for Arteta’s squad?
Arsenal head into the Champions League final with growing concern over defensive injuries, though Merino’s return offers Arteta at least one welcome piece of good news in the build-up. The Spaniard was part of Arsenal’s leadership group throughout his absence and never truly left the environment, attending team meetings and watching warm-ups from the touchline, even on crutches. His fitness, even in a limited capacity, adds an experienced option to a squad preparing for the biggest match in a generation.
My Opinion:
There is something quietly remarkable about this situation. Merino missed the entire title run-in, the weeks where Arsenal finally put the Premier League trophy to bed, and he absorbed that from a scooter in the park. He could have retreated completely, but instead, he stayed visible, stayed connected, and kept pushing. The fact that his teammates formed a tunnel for him on Thursday tells you everything about how this squad operates.
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Whether he plays a minute in Budapest or not almost feels secondary. His return shifts the mood inside the building at exactly the right moment. Arsenal go into this final as underdogs against a PSG side defending the trophy, and any injection of energy from the squad’s fringes matters. If Merino gets on the pitch, he will give everything; that much is not in question. The latest Arsenal injury news, for once, carries something close to joy.