The Arsenal midfielder said he is “fine” and urged Spain not to panic after their World Cup draw with Cape Verde.
Mikel Merino has said he is “fine” after seemingly missing training, or part of training, with Spain, explaining that his absence was part of a workload-management plan rather than a fresh injury concern or a set-back with his broken foot.
The Arsenal midfielder spoke to the media after Spain’s draw with Cabo Verde, addressing questions about his condition and the mood within the squad.
There was naturally concern after he missed 28 games for Arsenal and Spain due to a broken foot, only returning to action a few weeks ago.
“I’m fine,” Merino said. “I’ve been managing my workload, just as on some days I’ve done extra training. It was a day to calm things down a little.”
Merino believes the Spanish squad have responded well to the disappointment of their draw with Cabo Verde, although he accepted that players deal with setbacks differently.
“Some people deal with disappointment differently,” he said. “You have to swallow the disappointment, and we are already thinking about recovering as quickly as possible because the good part is coming again.”
The midfielder said Spain’s aim is to respond with a convincing win against Saudi Arabia on Sunday and insisted the squad remain united.
“We have to turn it around with a convincing win, if possible,” Merino added. “When difficult moments come, the family comes to the fore. I have seen a united team, ready to keep moving forward and do things properly.”
Merino also warned against allowing any concern to spread through the camp.
“It does us no good to panic. The work will be rewarded, things are discussed internally and I see a very calm Luis de la Fuente. We are ready to improve.”
He also dismissed concerns about individual egos within the squad.
“I see similar feelings in the team to those we had at the European Championship in terms of ego. We would all sign up to win a World Cup without playing a single minute.”
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