Mikel Merino To Miss Several Weeks For Arsenal Due To Shoulder Injury

Add as a preferred source on Google

Arsenal's recent acquisition, Mikel Merino, will be sidelined for several weeks due to a fractured shoulder sustained during his initial training session. The midfielder, who transferred from Real Sociedad for £31.6 million earlier this week, was injured in a collision with Gabriel Magalhaes.

Mikel Arteta confirmed that Merino would miss the upcoming match against Brighton on Saturday. "Very unfortunate," Arteta stated at a news conference. "On Thursday, he had a collision and sustained a shoulder injury. It looks like he's going to be out for a few weeks."

Arteta elaborated on the incident, explaining that Merino was excited and everything seemed positive until the accident occurred. "He landed on the floor, and Gabi landed on top of him. It appears he has a small fracture," Arteta added. "We need to conduct more tests to determine the exact duration of his absence."

In other news, Arsenal announced the signing of Neto on a season-long loan from Bournemouth following Aaron Ramsdale's move to Southampton. Neto started Bournemouth's first two Premier League games this season, making 11 saves and conceding only twice.

The goalkeeper has made 63 appearances for Bournemouth across all competitions, keeping 13 clean sheets and contributing to their 12th-place finish in the Premier League last season.

"Shotstopper. Leader. Winner," read an official statement from Arsenal on social media regarding their new signing.

Merino had been eagerly anticipated to make his debut for Arsenal this weekend before the unfortunate injury occurred. Arteta expressed regret over the situation but remained hopeful about Merino’s recovery after further medical evaluations.

The addition of Neto aims to bolster Arsenal's goalkeeping options following Ramsdale's departure. His experience and performance at Bournemouth are expected to bring stability to Arsenal’s defence.

This series of events highlights both challenges and strategic moves within Arsenal as they navigate player injuries and acquisitions early in the season.