Mikel Merino has been left with nothing but admiration for Mikel Arteta and his Arsenal training so far. Having joined the club late on in the summer transfer window it has been a frustrating start to life back in England, but Merino is extremely impressed.
Following an unfortunate shoulder injury that kept him sidelined for the first two months of the season, Merino only made his debut in the week before the October international break, coming off the bench against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. He then had half an hour four days later at home to Southampton.
With Arteta balancing injury issues, suspension, and availability problems across his squad, the absence of Merino has been felt. Arsenal are still unbeaten as domestic action is set to return though, with Bournemouth set to play host on Saturday.
Merino will be expecting to continue his road to full match sharpness on the south coast. His chances of playing have been boosted by making two appearances for Spain during the fortnight away from club football.
It was playing for his country over the summer that caught the attention for many. Merino bagged an extra-time winner in the quarter-finals against Germany, arriving in the box to score a wonderful header.
