Arsenal's Mikel Merino Faces Shoulder Injury

Arsenal's new signing Mikel Merino is expected to be sidelined for a few weeks due to a suspected shoulder fracture sustained during his first training session. The 28-year-old midfielder, who joined from Real Sociedad for a fee that could rise to £32.6 million, was injured in a collision with teammate Gabriel Magalhães. Manager Mikel Arteta expressed his disappointment, stating that Merino was eager to make his debut against Brighton but will now have to wait until late September or early October. Fortunately, Merino has a solid injury record, having missed only a few games over his career. There are concerns, however, as he was initially training individually, raising questions about his fitness. This injury mirrors a previous setback for Jurrien Timber last season, who also faced an early injury after his transfer.