Arsenal have confirmed that midfielder Mikel Merino will undergo surgery on a bone injury in his right foot in the coming days, Sky Sports reports.
In a club statement, Arsenal said, “Mikel will have surgery in the coming days and will then begin his recovery and rehabilitation programme. Everyone is fully focused on supporting Mikel to ensure he is back to full fitness as soon as possible.”
The Spain international is expected to be sidelined for an extended period, though the aim is for him to return to full training before the end of the season.
Merino’s injury has sparked speculation that Arsenal could enter the loan market for reinforcements, with the transfer window closing at 7pm on Monday.
Despite the setback, manager Mikel Arteta still has several midfield options, including Declan Rice, Christian Nørgaard, Martin Zubimendi, Eberechi Eze, Myles Lewis-Skelly, and Kai Havertz, though youngster Ethan Nwaneri has departed on loan to Marseille.
Merino has featured prominently this season, making 33 appearances across all competitions, scoring six goals and providing three assists.
