Mikel Merino says he has noticed a surprise positive at Arsenal after so many injury issues

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Arsenal have had a torrid time with injuries so far this season.

The Gunners were often told that they were lucky because they didn’t have any major issues in the 2023/24 season, but nobody can say that anymore.

Mikel Arteta has had one player or another out due to injury since the start of the season, and that hasn’t been ideal at all for the North Londoners.

However, Mikel Merino has spotted a positive despite all the injuries.

Mikel Merino highlights one positive following Arsenal’s injury crisis

Since the start of the 2024/25 season, nine senior Arsenal players have missed games due to injuries, while three players have served suspensions due to red cards.

That has definitely made things more difficult for Arteta, but the Gunners are still just five points off Manchester City at the top of the table.

Arsenal fans can only wonder where they would be on the table now if all of their players were available for every single game this season.

Merino missed a few games due to a shoulder injury and found that really frustrating. However, he has spotted a positive that has come out of Arsenal’s injury crisis.

The Spain international said, as per 90min: “Injuries are part of the game and they cannot be an excuse for results.

“Injuries have pros and cons – one of the pros is that we are seeing young players make their debuts and be involved.

“As a club, you want to bring young players through from the academy, give them opportunities and you can see this is a club where everyone is able to do a really good job even though we don’t have important players like Martin [Odegaard] available.”

How many youngsters has Mikel Arteta used at Arsenal in 2024/25?

Merino is right, Arsenal’s injury issues have opened the door for several academy players to get an opportunity with the first team.

Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly are the two names that immediately spring to mind, but they are among a total of eight teenagers who have been used by Arteta this season.

The other six teens who have made senior appearances this season are Jack Porter, Tommy Setford, Ayden Heaven, Maldini Kacurri, Josh Nichols and Ismail Kabia.

Six other Arsenal academy players – Nathan Butler-Oyedeji, Josh Robinson, Jimi Gower, Salah-Eddine Oulad M’Hand, Zane Monlouis and Alexei Rojas Fedorushchenko – have all made the matchday squads at one point or another this season.

Many of the names mentioned above wouldn’t have gotten anywhere near the first team on matchdays if all the senior players were fit and available throughout the campaign.