Mikel Merino has detailed the grim stretch of injury that forced him to use a mobility scooter for two months after a rare stress fracture in his right foot. The Arsenal midfielder returned to full training on Thursday and is now pushing to be ready for Arsena
Mikel Merino didn’t just miss training after discovering the damage in his right foot — he had to change the way he moved around Arsenal’s training ground. The midfielder has now opened up about a period that lasted two months. during which he used a mobility scooter simply to get by as he recovered from a rare stress fracture.
Merino’s last appearance for Arsenal came in their 3-2 home defeat by Manchester United on January 25. In that match, he sustained the stress fracture to his right foot and ultimately required surgery.
When the diagnosis landed, Merino said it hit him harder than he expected. He explained that he had been playing through pain for a time. only for the fracture to prove far more serious once the news came in. “It was very hard to be honest,” Merino said. “My feeling was I was playing through pain for a little bit but I wasn’t expecting that a big fracture was going to happen there.”.
His next thought wasn’t football first — it was what the injury could steal from him. Merino said that when they told him he would be out for 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.”.
He described the mental choice that followed: “I had two options: to go down and cry myself to extinction or keep my head up, be positive and try to use my time to improve other aspects.”
The practical side of recovery turned into an image he’s unlikely to forget. “With the mobility scooter it’s just trying to bring fun out of it, see the sun,” Merino said. “I couldn’t walk for two months. It’s a hard time on crutches. The mobility scooter was a fun way to see the light of day and enjoy time with the dog.”.
Now, the timeline has swung the other way. Merino returned to full training on Thursday and is working to make up for lost time ahead of Arsenal’s Champions League showdown with Paris Saint-Germain next Saturday in Budapest. He is in contention to make the matchday squad for the final.
Within that recovery window, Merino said motivation didn’t come only from his own plans. It also came from his teammates. He pointed to the belief that he could still contribute in a Champions League final. with his group repeatedly trying to lift him during his spell on the sidelines. “I felt very loved,” he said. “As an injured player also you have a role to go through with your team-mates.”.
Merino described how he tried to stay close to the squad and how they kept checking on him. “I tried to be close to them and found out they were very close to me as well. Every time they saw me they were asking me how I was doing. if I was better. telling me they were rooting for me and that I was going to get back soon enough to help them and score a header in the Champions League final.”.
He said those conversations mattered because they pulled him back into the team’s rhythm. “Those conversations always give you a little extra motivation, make you feel included. I feel pleased and happy with the group we have.”
Merino’s immediate target is also clear. He confirmed that a return against Crystal Palace on Sunday is “the goal.” For now. he is with Arsenal as preparations continue. ready to respond to the decision-making of the manager. “I’m with the team. Whenever the gaffer needs, I’ll be ready to do whatever he wants.”.
Mikel Merino Arsenal mobility scooter stress fracture right foot surgery January 25 Manchester United Crystal Palace Paris Saint-Germain Champions League final Budapest