Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino has shared an update on his return to the Spain squad. The 28-year-old, who helped his nation win Euro 2024, missed the September international fixtures due to injury.
Merino injured his shoulder in training after making the £27.4million plus £4.2m in add-ons move to the Gunners from Real Sociedad in August. It meant the midfielder had to wait over a month to make his Arsenal debut, as he came on as a second-half substitute in the 2-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain last Tuesday.
The metronomic Norwegian has been a near ever-present in Mikel Arteta’s starting XI since he made his move to north London permanent ahead of the 2021/22 campaign. We’ve seen the humble playmaker evolve pretty drastically in these parts, with Odegaard shouldering immense responsibility with and without the ball as Arsenal developed into Premier League title contenders.
Odegaard’s significance to the club’s rise under Arteta meant the fear and panic which spread among the fanbase as we saw him limp off during a Nations League bout between Norway and Austria was justified. His ankle injury didn’t appear particularly clever, with pessimism coursing among pseudo-medical marvels online. Nevertheless, it became clear that the Gunners were going to be without their influential skipper for a prolonged period and it’s not yet known when we’re going to see Odegaard back jeering up the Emirates crowd.
Rice, 25, is one of several members of the Arsenal squad currently with their respective national sides during the October international break. The midfielder is with the England squad and is alongside fellow Gunners teammate, Bukayo Saka, for Nations League fixtures against Greece and Finland over the coming days.
Grealish, who plays for title rivals Manchester City, is also part of the squad. However, the popular winger missed training on Wednesday due to a knock and he’s now a doubt to face Greece on Thursday night.
That did not stop the former Aston Villa talisman and captain from sending a message to Rice on social media, though. Grealish shared an image of himself on his Instagram story, alongside Rice, as the England pair shared a laugh and joke in the build-up to Thursday night’s match.
Manchester City are reportedly set to replace their departing director of football, Txiki Begiristain, with the man who signed Arsenal-linked Viktor Gyokeres for Portuguese giants Sporting CP.
Begiristain, 60, is ready to leave City at the end of this season, but a successor will reputedly start work early next year as part of a six-month handover period. According to reports, an agreement is seemingly already in place with his heir, who’s already well-respected and in European football.
Hugo Viana fits that bill, and Fabrizio Romano claims the Sporting director of football is City’s favoured candidate to succeed Begiristain in the top job. That potential appointment could be bad news for Arsenal and any hopes of signing Gyokeres over upcoming transfer windows due to his existing working relationship with the striker.
Riccardo Calafiori has told Leandro Trossard to ‘watch out’ ahead of Italy’s clash against Belgium. The Arsenal duo will lock horns at the Stadio Olimpico on Thursday night as they both look to get their hands on some silverware and win the Nations League.
Italy currently top Group A2 with six points after defeating France and Israel last month. Meanwhile, Belgium are third with just three points; the Red Devils also stormed past Israel in September before losing 2-0 to Les Bleu.
Nevertheless, Calafiori and Trossard are set to lock horns, and the defender is confident that he’ll get the better of his Gunners teammate. As quoted by the Metro, the Italian, who joined Arsenal from Bolonga in the summer for £42m, said: “I told him to watch out!
Arsenal could consider a move for Atalanta midfielder Ederson next year, according to reputed journalist Charles Watts.
The Gunners have had another fine start to the Premier League season and they are just 1 point behind leaders Liverpool after 7 games. Thomas Partey has been ever-present in the no.6 role while Jorginho has provided adequate back-up whenever required.
Despite this, the club are bound to consider a new midfielder with the futures of Partey and Jorginho very much in doubt. Their current deals expire at the end of the season. Speaking to Caught Offside, Watts has said that Ederson could be an option for Arsenal.
The journalist added that he has no idea whether Arsenal are considering the Brazil international, but he is a ‘very accomplished player’. His exposure with the Brazilian national team could improve his chances of moving to the Gunners next season.
He said: “Arsenal are looking at midfield options ahead of the summer, with the futures of Jorginho and Thomas Partey very much in doubt right now and I’m sure Ederson’s name would have been discussed given the form he has been in of late.
“But I can’t say for certain whether he is a player they are seriously considering as an option right now. It’s just too early at the moment for that. I’ve certainly not heard anything myself.
“Ederson is clearly a very accomplished player, he’s shown that with Atalanta and he’s now starting to get some opportunities with Brazil as well. Whether that’s enough to convince Arsenal to join the race for him, however, we’ll have to wait and see.”
Possible
Partey has started every league and European game for the Gunners this campaign. He has been assisted by the fact that summer signing Mikel Merino got injured in his 1st training session.
The Spaniard suffered a minor shoulder fracture after a challenge from Gabriel Magalhaes and he only made his Gunners debut in the Champions League victory over Paris Saint-Germain recently.
Partey could lose his place to Merino as the season progress if he can’t stay fit. The Ghanaian has the tendency to pick up injuries and his fitness record could be tested over the coming months.
Arsenal will surely want a young midfielder in the long run and Ederson would be an ideal fit. The Brazilian recently delivered a strong performance against the Gunners in the Champions League.
The 25-year-old was cautioned early on in the game, but he kept on going. He won 8 duels and 4 fouls alongside 2 take-ons. The midfielder also won a penalty for his team from a Partey foul.
Atalanta could not convert the resultant spot-kick after the goalkeeping heroics of David Raya, but Ederson proved that he has the credentials to play against one of the best English teams at the moment.
The Serie A outfit rejected £42 million from United for their prized asset over the summer and they could hold out for a higher transfer fee, given he is just in the peak phase of his playing career.
The international break is a period where fans of their clubs sit with hands clasped, praying for their players to make it through unscathed. Supporters of the domestic game, speaking as one myself, can end up dreading these periods and for Arsenal and their followers, this is no different.
This was encapsulated perfectly by Martin Odegaard’s injury during the September break that sees the club captain out at this very moment with no indication of a specific return to date. Mikel Arteta has spoken openly of his view on the topic saying: “I prefer not to watch the games!
“I pray that everybody is going to be fine, because the last one was a really difficult one to handle in many ways.” With that in mind, football.london theorises what a perfect international break might look like for the Gunners.
Saka and Rice rest
Both Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka have unsurprisingly again been called up to the England squad. Lee Carsley has made the duo a key part of his new-look England following the departure of Gareth Southgate as manager after the defeat in the final of this summer’s European Championships.
The hope will be that in the games against Greece and Finland that rotation will allow the pair to get rest in at least one game. At best though perhaps what can be hoped for is early substitutions in the games to allow some of the other talent in the squad some time, and these key members some recuperation.
Recharge time
There are plenty of players that are remaining with Arteta at the Sobha Realty Training Centre including the aforementioned Odegaard. He heads up a list of Ben White, Jurrien Timber, Kieran Tierney and Oleksandr Zinchenko who have also been joined by Kai Havertz and Thomas Partey after they both pulled out of international duty.
With so many players suffering, there is a good argument that this break couldn’t have come at a better time. Although it has interrupted the club’s flow, the allowance of further time for these injured stars to recover and rejoin the group when domestic action returns away at Bournemouth next week might indeed be a great boost to Arteta’s plans.
Valuable minutes
During some of the breaks, Arteta has decided to organise a behind-closed-doors friendly to get minutes into the legs of some of his stars not playing regularly. Having a squad ready to make an impact when called on is vital and despite some rotation against Southampton, there has been little chance to do so, so far, besides the League Cup game with Preston at the end of the month, is there perceivably another time to do so.
The likes of Gabriel Jesus, Raheem Sterling and Takehiro Tomiyasu, as well as the yet-to-play Neto, could all do with some playing time. With good links to the likes of Watford, Brentford, Ipswich Town and others, there is no shortage of potential options for Arteta’s team to get some game time.
Former England goalkeeper David James believes Arsenal made an error in selling Emiliano Martinez, describing the Argentine as a ‘monster’ who would be the ideal fit for Mikel Arteta’s current team. Martinez, who has since established himself as one of the Premier League’s top goalkeepers and played a key role in Argentina’s World Cup triumph, was sold to Aston Villa in 2020 for £17m.
Martinez had been at Arsenal for almost a decade but struggled for first-team opportunities, making just 38 appearances as he vied for the No. 1 spot. Loan spells at several EFL clubs followed before Arteta opted to sell him, choosing Bernd Leno as his first-choice goalkeeper for the 2020 season.
However, Leno’s tenure as Arsenal’s main goalkeeper was short-lived, as Aaron Ramsdale replaced him following a £30m move from Sheffield United. Ramsdale, after an initial impressive spell, has since lost his place to David Raya, Arsenal’s current No. 1.
Despite Raya’s strong performances since joining the Gunners, James remains convinced that letting Martinez leave was a mistake. “When you look at the Raya and Ramsdale situation, it’s clear Martinez would have been the perfect goalkeeper for Arsenal right now,” James said on the Seaman Says podcast with Betway. “He’s a monster—he’s got character and is a big-game player. He wants to be in the biggest games.”
Martinez has thrived at Aston Villa, helping them secure a spot in the Champions League and solidifying his reputation as one of the world’s best goalkeepers. He was instrumental in Argentina’s World Cup victory in Qatar and has continued to shine in the Premier League. “There aren’t many goalkeepers with his character in the Premier League these days,” James added. “He’s one of the few who can reach those top corners.”
Peter Schmeichel, widely regarded as one of the Premier League’s greatest goalkeepers, echoed James’ sentiments, believing Martinez’s success at Villa has proven Arteta wrong. “I think he’s proven Arsenal wrong, for sure,” Schmeichel said on the Stick to Football podcast. “He’s a big personality and he’s helping that Villa team a lot. He’s a winner—a World Cup and Copa America winner—and he’s only getting better.”
Despite Martinez’s departure, Arsenal’s defense has remained formidable. Last season, the Gunners boasted the best defensive record in the Premier League, and this season they have conceded just six goals. Arsenal, aiming to win their first league title since 2004, continued their strong form with a 3-1 comeback victory over Southampton on Saturday.
Reflecting on the win, Arteta praised his team’s resilience but lamented missed chances. “The start was exceptional, the dominance, the chances. It was unbelievable not to go one, two, three goals up,” Arteta said. “But the team reacted with a lot of authority, and I am happy we won in the end—we deserved it.”
Another player from Arsenal has been unable to participate in international duty due to health-related issues.
Yet another member of the Arsenal squad has been forced to pull out of representing their country due to health issues.
Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey has had to withdraw from international duty with Ghana for their Africa Cup of Nations qualification matches against Sudan due to medical concerns.
The captain of the Black Stars has made a strong start to the season, participating in all seven of Arsenal’s Premier League games as well as their two Champions League fixtures.
Partey has established himself as a vital component of Mikel Arteta’s midfield alongside Declan Rice, having already scored a key goal in the team’s 2-0 win over Aston Villa in August.
Last weekend, the 31-year-old played as a right-back in the victory against newly-promoted Southampton but had to be substituted late in the game after sustaining a knock.
On Monday, the Ghana Football Association announced, “Thomas is unable to join the Black Stars due to medical issues he is currently facing, and his club has arranged for him to undergo further tests in the coming days.”
Arsenal journalist Charles Watts has indicated that the midfielder is believed to be unwell rather than dealing with an injury or muscle issue, as was initially suspected.
It is reported that the 31-year-old defensive midfielder will stay in London to focus on regaining full fitness ahead of Arsenal’s match against Bournemouth on October 19.
In addition to Partey, three other players—Joseph Paintsil, Ibrahim Osman, and Kingsley Schindler—have also withdrawn from the Ghana squad for the upcoming international fixtures.
Paintsil is dealing with hamstring pain, Ibrahim has a strained calf muscle, and Schindler is absent due to a medical emergency for which he is receiving treatment.
Injury concerns are escalating for Arteta.
Partey’s exit from international duty comes just a day after the German Football Association confirmed that Kai Havertz would remain in London for the next two weeks to recuperate from a knee injury.
Other Arsenal players sidelined from international representation this month include Ben White and Jurrien Timber, both of whom missed the recent victory over Southampton due to fitness issues.
Left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko is anticipated to return from his leg injury only after the international break and will not participate for Ukraine as he concentrates on regaining full fitness.
Kieran Tierney is also unavailable for Scotland due to a hamstring injury he incurred during the European Championship this summer, while Takehiro Tomiyasu’s absence from Japan’s squad is believed to be linked to his recent recovery from a knee injury.
Lastly, club captain Martin Odegaard will not join the Norway national team due to an ankle ligament injury sustained during the last international break.
Arsenal legend Ian Wright has called out the debate surrounding Bukayo Saka as ‘clickbait’ after pundit Ally McCoist hesitated to put the Englishman in the world-class bracket.
Saka has been one of the stars of Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal team for a prolonged period now and his performances this season have continued to back that up. So far, the 23-year-old has two goals and seven assists to his name in ten appearances across all competitions as the Gunners aim to win the Premier League title at their third proper attempt.
In an impassioned response to the ongoing debate surrounding Saka, Wright told Premier League Productions that the conversation is more black and white than a topic that can be argued both for and against.
