Arsenal injury news: Mikel Arteta explains Mikel Merino absence from Leeds Premier League clash

Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta has explained Mikel Merino's absence from the matchday squad for Saturday's Premier League fixture with Leeds United at Elland Road.

After serving a Champions League ban in Wednesday's 3-2 victory over Kairat, the expectation was that Merino would at least be on the bench for Saturday's 3pm kickoff with the Whites.

However, the Spain international was a surprise absentee from the team sheet, meaning that he would miss a Premier League game for the first time in the 2025-26 campaign.

Merino's omission was unlikely to have been a tactical one, and reports started doing the rounds soon after that the former Real Sociedad man had picked up a foot problem ahead of the contest.

Speaking to the media pre-match, Arteta confirmed that Merino had been struggling with a foot injury, specifically a bone issue that he will need to see a specialist to diagnose.

Mikel Arteta explains Mikel Merino absence from Leeds vs. Arsenal

"He’s got an issue in his foot. It’s a bone that’s giving him some pain, and we have some exams, we need some more specialists to look at it and to see how long he will be out," Arteta replied.

Merino's absence deprived Arsenal of a versatile and consistent goal threat, with the Spaniard registering six strikes of his own in addition to three assists in 33 matches in all tournaments this term.

Exactly how long Merino is out for remains to be seen, but Arteta's quotes suggest that the experienced lynchpin will also be missing for Tuesday's EFL Cup semi-final second leg with Chelsea at the Emirates.

However, Merino is just one of two fitness concerns for the Premier League leaders at this moment in time; 16-year-old winger Max Dowman is still a couple of weeks away from returning from an ankle issue.

With no Merino in the squad, and Martin Odegaard among the replacements, Kai Havertz holds his place in midfield alongside the returning Martin Zubimendi and Declan Rice at Elland Road.

Which other Arsenal players are missing against Leeds?

Such is the strength and indeed size of Arsenal's squad that Arteta is forced to leave out at least a couple of big names every week, although injuries do make his decisions slightly easier in that regard.

However, Myles Lewis-Skelly has been omitted from the matchday ranks, as Ben White, Cristhian Mosquera and Riccardo Calafiori have been selected as Arsenal's backup defenders.

The veteran Christian Norgaard was also cut from the squad - as has often been the case in the Premier League season - but the Denmark international nevertheless travelled as the extra man.

Norgaard was then unexpectedly promoted to the bench at the last minute, as Bukayo Saka hurt himself in the warm-up and was replaced in the first XI by Noni Madueke.