Arsenal injury news: Mikel Merino shares surgery photo as Declan Rice, Gabriel react

Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino has shared a post on social media confirming that he has undergone successful surgery on a foot injury.

The Spain international was an unexpected absentee from the 4-0 win over Leeds United at the end of January, and it was subsequently revealed that he had suffered a serious foot fracture.

Arsenal announced that the former Real Sociedad man would go under the knife to correct the issue, with the aim of returning to first-team training before the end of the season.

Merino underwent the procedure on Monday, and the versatile 29-year-old updated supporters with an optimistic Instagram post alongside a hopeful captain.

Merino shared an image of him smiling and giving a thumbs-up in his hospital bed with a cast on his foot, and he affirmed that he is "already closer" to making his on-field comeback.

"Surgery done! Already closer to be back ??. Thank you so much to everyone for your messages and love. It really gives me even more energy to face the challenge. Vamos! ??," Merino wrote.

Arsenal, Spain stars share messages of support to Mikel Merino after surgery

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A post shared by Mikel Merino (@mikelmerino)

Within minutes of Merino's Instagram post, his club and international teammates shared messages of support, with Declan Rice commenting "With you brother ❤️" underneath the image.

Gabriel Magalhaes and Eberechi Eze both commented with emojis of hands in prayer position and a love heart, while Paris Saint-Germain's Fabian Ruiz said "A lot of strength!".

While Merino is aiming to be back in full training before the end of the campaign, there is a chance that he has already played his last game this season, and his hopes of representing Spain in the World Cup are also in jeopardy.

The former Newcastle United man has amassed six goals and three assists from 33 matches in all tournaments this season, giving him a total of 15 strikes and eight helpers in 77 matches for Arsenal since 2024.

How much will Arsenal miss Mikel Merino?

Mikel Arteta's versatile compatriot can sometimes still divide opinion among Arsenal fans, as he is not a natural creator and does not possess the same ball-carrying and athletic abilities as Declan Rice in the left-eight role.

However, Merino has made a habit of consistently producing in the clutch moments, registering decisive contributions against the likes of Newcastle United, Chelsea and Brentford in the current Premier League season.

It is not inaccurate to suggest that Merino is one of Arsenal's biggest aerial threats in the opposing penalty area, and the experienced midfielder is a hugely valuable asset to Arteta when fully fit.

Merino's absence will not prove as devastating as it could have done in 2024-25, though, as Viktor Gyokeres and Gabriel Jesus are both battling for starts up front, and the former is slowly starting to come into his own.

Furthermore, Kai Havertz - who has combined excellently with the Swede - has shown Arsenal what they have missed since returning from injury, and as long as the Gunners can keep the German fit, Merino can rest and recover a little easier.