Mikel Merino injury return gives Arsenal a late boost

Mikel Merino is back in Arsenal training after a strange foot injury, and that gives the club a useful option ahead of the Champions League final. He has been sidelined since an operation on a fractured foot sustained in Arsenal's 3-2 defeat to Manchester United on January 25. He says he feels ready to go, but the final call still sits with Mikel Arteta.

What Merino said about the injury

Merino's own description explains why this took so long. "It's a stress fracture in a very strange part of the foot where not even the specialists had seen before. It was a weird one," he said. He also said he could not walk for two months and used a mobility scooter while recovering.

That made the first session back feel almost surreal. "Honestly I woke up and I was feeling like the first day of school," Mikel Merino said. "Being around my team-mates for the first time again, unbelievable. To get all that love from them is great."

Why Arsenal will welcome him back

The timing matters because Merino has already been useful this season. He has 4 Premier League goals and 3 assists in 21 Premier League appearances, plus 2 goals in 7 Champions League appearances. That is enough to make his absence noticeable, even if Arsenal have coped without him.

Merino returned to first-team training on Thursday and was expected to take part in full training on Friday. Arsenal travel to Crystal Palace on May 24 before the Champions League final against Paris Saint Germain on May 30. There is still uncertainty around how far his recovery has progressed, but the fact he is back on the grass changes the conversation around both games.

He put it plainly: "That's the goal. I'm with the team. Whenever the gaffer needs, I'll be ready to do whatever he wants. My foot is great. I feel fit, and I am ready to go." If Arsenal can include him in the squad, that is a proper lift at the right time.