Arsenal will be feeling confident to end their two-decade drought of winning the Premier League. In the last few seasons, they came very close.
However, they could not get over the finish line, as they lost twice to Manchester City and once to Liverpool (last season).
One of the main reasons was the injury problems. That is why this season, Andrea Berta and Mikel Arteta ensured that the Gunners have squad depth to finally win the Premier League.
Now, they are well on their way to doing so, as the Gunners are leading the Premier League title race by six points. As a result, they will be looking to maintain that lead.
However, the Gunners are already getting injury scares. Mikel Merino suffered a foot injury while playing against Manchester United.
So, his timeline for return was uncertain. That is why Arsenal even tried to find a replacement towards the end of the January transfer window.
However, according to COPE, Mikel Merino will undergo surgery on Monday. And they are theoretically giving a return timeline on May.
Merino’s father spoke on El Larguero to shed light on the injury of the Spaniard and how he is dealing with these tough times. He explained (quotes via The Mirror):
“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.
“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.”
If Merino does come back in May, then he could be back just in time for the climax of this season, as Arsenal hope to compete for the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League at that stage.
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