Mikel Merino provides Arsenal return update after surgery on foot injury: ‘Closer to being back’

Midfielder faces a fight to play again this season

Update: Mikel Merino

Your matchday briefing on Arsenal, featuring team news and expert analysis from Matt

Mikel Merino has undergone surgery on a foot injury as the Arsenal midfielder begins a lengthy recovery process.

The midfielder picked up the issue late in the defeat to Manchester United last month, when he came off the bench and scored.

Merino was sent to see specialists to determine the severity of the problem, and it was discovered that surgery would be required on a bone injury in his right foot.

That procedure took place on Monday, with Merino taking to Instagram to share a picture from his hospital bed.

Merino posted: “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!”

Declan Rice said in reply: “With you brother.”

Martin Zubimendi, meanwhile, paid tribute to his Spanish team-mate by copying his celebration and pointing to the stands when scoring against Sunderland on Saturday.

Merino’s father recently confirmed that his son had suffered a stress fracture to his foot, an injury that Mikel Arteta has described as “very rare”.

Merino now faces a race to return to action before the end of the season and keep his World Cup hopes alive.

Arsenal hope that Merino will be fit to feature in May in the final weeks of the campaign, in what could be the decisive period for the club’s trophy hopes domestically and in Europe.

Asked if he expected Merino to play again this season, Arteta said:  “Well, we hope so.

“I don’t know. Obviously, he needs to go through a procedure, which is never always positive. He’s a big player for us.

“An athlete that has such versatility and capacity to compete in various positions. Yeah, that’s a big blow.

“Let’s see. It’s a very rare injury, so we have to wait and see once we have the surgery. How that reacts daily.”

We face Sunderland at Emirates Stadium on Saturday, and you can see what we’ve been up to at the Sobha Realty Training Centre ahead of the contest with our latest training gallery.

We’ll be looking to continue our positive form having won our last three matches across all competitions, including a late 1-0 win over Chelsea in the Carabao Cup semi-finals last time out.

Our most recent Premier League game saw us thrash Leeds United 4-0, a result which extended our lead at the top of the table to six points.

To see how we’ve been preparing for our clash with the Black Cats, flick through our training gallery below, captured by club photographer Stuart MacFarlane:

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Copyright 2026 The Arsenal Football Club Limited. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.arsenal.com as the source.

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Today

Today

📅 Date & Kick-off

The Carabao Cup final between Arsenal and Manchester City is scheduled for Sunday, 22 March 2026 at Wembley Stadium in London, England. �

Wikipedia

Kick-off is expected to be around 4:30 pm GMT (16:30 GMT), although final broadcaster confirmation may adjust this slightly. �

The Standard

🏆 Match Context

Arsenal reached the final by beating Chelsea 4-2 on aggregate in their semi-final. �

Reuters

Manchester City progressed with a 5-1 aggregate win over Newcastle United. �

Sky Sports

📺 How to Watch

In the UK the final is expected to be shown on Sky Sports and free-to-air via ITV/ITVX, with pre-match coverage typically starting about an hour before kick-off. �

The Standard

📰 Team News & Injury Updates

Arsenal

Mikel Merino is a major doubt for the final as he’s expected to be out for an extended period undergoing foot surgery. �

Yahoo Sports UK

Decisions like goalkeeper choice (Kepa Arrizabalaga vs David Raya) may hinge on form later in the season. �

Yahoo Sports UK

Arsenal’s squad situation could evolve through Premier League and European fixtures between now and March.

Manchester City

Key players such as Josko Gvardiol are likely to miss the final due to injury. �

Yahoo Sports UK

Some others – including John Stones, Mateo Kovacic and Savinho – are expected to be available. �

Yahoo Sports UK

Marc Guehi is currently ineligible to play in the final under competition rules after appearing for another club earlier in the tournament; Pep Guardiola has publicly questioned this rule. �

Reuters

⚠️ Note: Team news and injury status will be clearer closer to matchday as clubs confirm their squads, fitness, and starting line-ups.

📌 Summary

Final: Arsenal vs Manchester City (Carabao Cup final)

Date: Sunday 22 March 2026

Kick-off: ~4:30 pm GMT (subject to broadcaster confirmation)

Venue: Wembley Stadium, London �

The Standard +1

If you want the local kickoff time for your time zone (Abuja/Nigeria) or predictions for the starting line-ups once confirmed, just let me know!