The setback is serious and comes at the worst time. Mikel Merino it will be operated in the next few days after confirming a bone injury in the right footsuffered on January 25 in the match that his team, Arsenal, played frente al Manchester United. Subsequent tests and evaluations by specialists have confirmed the diagnosis and require go through the operating roomwith a prolonged sick leave past.
The goal of the footballer and of the medical body is that I can return to training normally before the season endsbut the deadlines are tight and evolution will mark each step. It is not a minor injury and the word prudence is the one that is repeated the most in those around you. Therefore, Merino will miss the key stretch of the season, where Arsenal is in a position to win all the titles.
In terms of selection, the first consequence is immediate: Merino will miss the Spanish matches in March. Among them, the Final before Argentinaa high-profile international event that was going to serve as a competitive thermometer and that will now be seen without one of the most reliable midfielders on the block.
The absence is not minor for coach Luis de la Fuente. Merino has become a fixture in the calls and in a piece of enormous tactical value due to its balance, its ability to support the team without the ball and its arrival from the second line. His consistency had placed him in a privileged position within the group.
Beyond the short term, The injury opens up a greater concern: the 2026 World Cup. There is still a way to go, but a prolonged absence always introduces uncertainty in a cycle as competitive as that of the national team. Recovering rhythm, continuity and level after an operation is not automatic, and even less so in a district with so much competition.
He already ran out of going to Qatar
Merino, who faces the hope of his first World Cup after being left out of the Qatar 2022 event, now has the most complex challenge: recovering well and on time, without forcing, to once again be the total player that has made him essential. Spain loses one of its pillars for March and crosses its fingers that this slowdown does not have major consequences on the World Cup horizon.
