Arsenal have suffered an unbelievable number of injuries this season.
Only Tottenham have endured more fitness problems than the Gunners, which makes Arsenal’s Premier League title triumph even more impressive.
Mikel Arteta has constantly had to reshuffle his squad and deal with key absences in almost every area of the pitch. One player Arsenal have badly missed in recent months is Mikel Merino.
Now, the Spaniard has opened up on the horrifying injury ordeal he experienced behind the scenes.
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Mikel Merino says doctors had never seen an injury like his before
Merino has been out injured since January after suffering a bizarre foot injury that completely stunned medical specialists.
The midfielder had initially tried to play through pain, but nobody expected the issue to turn into something so serious.
What made things even scarier for Merino was the fact that the injury was so rare that even doctors struggled to understand what recovery would look like.
There were reportedly no comparable cases to use as reference points, which naturally left the Arsenal midfielder fearing the worst.
Speaking about the ordeal, Merino told CBS Sports: “It’s a stress fracture in a very strange part of the foot where not even the specialists had seen before.
“It was a weird one. At the beginning, I was a little scared, I’m not going to lie. I didn’t know examples; we didn’t have them from other people who had done the same injury. We didn’t know what to expect, what path to take during the recovery, and if I was going to be able to play again. It was very hard, to be honest.”
The Spaniard then admitted the emotional impact of hearing he could miss around five months of football.
Merino explained: “When I got the news, and they said I was going to be out around five months, I could only think about missing the World Cup, missing the end of the season with my team, and not being able to help them.
“I was devastated at the time.”
Hearing that now makes Arsenal’s title win even more emotional because of everything players like Merino sacrificed behind the scenes.
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The good news for Arsenal supporters is that Merino now sounds far more positive about his recovery. After months of uncertainty and fear, the Spaniard appears confident that he is finally ready to return.
Speaking about his current condition, Merino said: “My foot is great. I’m not even thinking about it anymore.
“I’m just really pleased to be outside with the lads today. I’ve been training really hard, in the grass and inside with strength and conditioning coaches and physios, trying to give everything every single day to be as close to perfection when I’m back with the team.
“I’m very good. I feel fit. I’m ready to go.”
Merino could play a part against Crystal Palace in the final league game of the season, and if all goes well, he should play a part in the Champions League final against PSG.
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