Mikel Merino could yet be involved in Arsenal’s Champions League final after returning to training from a rare foot injury that left him fearing his season was over.
Mikel Merino could yet play a part in Arsenal’s Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain, with the midfielder now back in training after a rare foot injury that had placed the rest of his season, and his World Cup hopes, in doubt.
Merino has been sidelined since breaking a bone in his foot in January, an injury unusual enough that even specialists had limited examples to work from.
The concern around his recovery was significant, particularly after surgery left him on crutches and unable to walk for two months, but there is now a realistic chance he could be included on the bench when Arsenal face Crystal Palace on Sunday.
That fixture will already carry huge significance, with Arsenal set to lift the Premier League trophy as 2025/26 champions. For Merino, however, it could also offer a route back into the matchday squad before the Champions League final next weekend.
Speaking to the media before the trip to Selhurst Park, Mikel Arteta said, “Mikel is going to start to train with the group tomorrow,’ Arteta said. “Today, he’s gone out a little bit, but it was just a reintegration.”
Merino also spoke to Arsenal.com about the uncertainty that followed the injury and admitted the lack of precedent made the early stages difficult to process.
“It was in a very strange part of the foot that not even the specialists had seen before,” he said. “At the beginning I was a little scared, I’m not going to lie, as there were no examples from other people that had the same injury.
“We didn’t know what to expect, what path to take during the recovery and if I was going to be able to play again [this season], including at the World Cup. I was devastated. It took me a couple of days to recover.”
His absence has been lengthy and frustrating, but the midfielder said he tried to approach the recovery positively once the initial shock passed.
“With the mobility scooter it’s just trying to bring fun out of it, see the sun and enjoy time with the dog,” he said. “I had two options: go down and cry myself to extinction or be positive and try to use my time to improve.”
Merino returned to the grass last week, before training in the vicinity of rest of the players on Thursday. He then returned to the squad yesterday.
That step clearly meant a great deal after such a long spell away from the group.
“Honestly, on Thursday I woke up and I was feeling like the first day of school, being around my team-mates for the first time again, unbelievable,” he said. “To get all that love from them is great.”
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