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Mikel Merino suffers a foot fracture in Arsenal FC’s 3-2 loss to Manchester United, faces surgery and long recovery, impacting title ambition.
Arsenal players after winning at the end of the Champions League opening phase game against Inter Milan (Picture credit: AP)
Arsenal FC midfielder Mikel Merino has suffered a foot fracture and is set to undergo surgery in the coming days, in a significant blow to the club’s hopes of competing for all four titles. The club said he picked up the serious injury during the final stages of the 3-2 defeat against Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium.
“Mikel will have surgery in the coming days and will then begin his recovery and rehabilitation programme,” a club statement said. “Mikel is expected to be out of action for an extended period, with the aim of returning to full training before the end of the season. Everyone is fully focused on supporting Mikel to ensure he is back to full fitness as soon as possible.”
Merino has been an excellent addition to Arsenal for his transfer fee of about ₹256 Crore, scoring 15 goals and nine assists across competitions.
Signed as a squad option for both defensive and attacking midfield areas, Merino has put in regular shifts at the Centre-Forward position, offering unexpected returns with his intelligent reading of the game and front-footedness. This year, he was also growing into the role at the base of Arsenal’s midfield, especially in cup competitions, allowing regular rest for all three of Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard and Martin Zubimendi.
“Time to stop now with a foot injury,” Merino wrote on Instagram. “Sometimes life throws this kind of challenges when is less convenient. Just another opportunity to be strong, resilient and overcome it. We have the best medical team and together we will come back stronger. Thank you all, your support means everything to me and I can’t wait to be back on the pitch soon, helping my team and doing what I love ❤️”
The Athletic has reported that Arsenal will look for a loan option to reinforce the squad before the deadline (12:30 am IST on February 3). However, Arsenal would believe they have enough depth to offset the issue for the final stretch of the season, with Christian Nørgaard and Myles Lewis-Skelly (who has been used has a left-back so far) capable of deputising in the role.
Arsenal have gone perfect with eight consecutive wins in the Champions League so far and are six points in the lead at the top in the Premier League.
February 02, 2026, 09:11 IST
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