Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed that new signing Mikel Merino will be sidelined for a few weeks after injuring his shoulder in his first training session with the team.
Merino, fresh off a £31.6 million transfer from Real Sociedad, sustained the injury following a collision with one of his new teammates.
The 28-year-old Spanish midfielder was taking part in his first training session with Arsenal on Thursday when he collided with a fellow player, resulting in a "small fracture."
Arteta described the incident as unfortunate, explaining that Merino fell to the ground and had another player, Gabi, land on top of him.
"He was really excited, and everything was looking really good," Arteta said. "He landed on the floor, and Gabi landed on top of him, and it looks like he has a small fracture probably."
Arteta noted that Merino was in significant pain and that the club would conduct further tests to assess the extent of the injury. "We have to see. He was in so much pain, we have to wait to do some more tests," Arteta added. Despite this setback, Arteta expressed his optimism about Merino's recovery and eventual contribution to the team.
Merino's injury is a blow to Arsenal, especially after a strong start to the Premier League season. Arsenal has won both of their opening fixtures, securing victories over Wolves and Aston Villa. The Gunners are gearing up to host Brighton at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, with both teams maintaining a 100% record so far this season.
While Merino's absence will be felt, Arsenal will look to continue their positive momentum as they navigate through this challenging period without their new midfielder.
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