Recovering Merino being called up for Spain this month could be good for Arsenal | OneFootball

Mikel Merino, who signed with Arsenal from Real Sociedad for a deal worth £31.6 million in August, did not make his Arsenal debut until last Tuesday, when Arsenal beat PSG 2-0. The Spaniard suffered an injury in his first Arsenal training session, colliding with Gabriel and injuring his shoulder, which sidelined him for more than a month.

Well, after only two training sessions with the Gunners, Arteta trusted him to make his debut against the Parisians in the 64th minute of a crucial Champions League match against PSG on Tuesday. The Spaniard did not immediately dazzle. He lost the ball too many times, which is understandable given that it was his first game since the Euros.

That said, the former Real Sociedad star received a call-up to the Spain national squad for the October UEFA Nations League matchups. Some Gooners argue that the club isn’t protecting Merino from potential injuries by allowing him to go on international duty just when he’s returned from one.

However, for those concerned about Merino’s inclusion in the Spain squad, this isn’t a bad thing. The midfielder has played very little competitive football since the EUROs. He’s only recently returned; don’t you think keeping the fire burning by playing for Spain against Denmark on October 12th and Serbia on October 15th will help him gain momentum? He is unlikely to play 180 minutes; he may only make cameo appearances.

Surely missing another two weeks of football will not help him catch up, and we need him to be ready to go. Riccardo Calafiori has raised Arsenal’s left side, and with Merino taking over the LCM and joining the party (perhaps with Odegaard returning after the international break), Arsenal’s midfield could finally be at their strongest ever at last.

Daniel O

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