"A big blow": Mikel Arteta now confirms £31.6m Arsenal star is ruled out of Chelsea game

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed a foot injury for midfielder Mikel Merino ahead of the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final against Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners returned to winning ways in the Premier League with a 4-0 rout of Leeds United at Elland Road. Merino was a surprise absentee for the game. It was initially deemed as tactical.

However, it has since been revealed that the Spaniard suffered a foot injury. Speaking in today’s presser, Arteta acknowledged the setback and said that the £31.6 million signing will undergo surgery.

The 43-year-old added that Merino’s absence is ‘a big blow’ for the Gunners.

Arteta said: “He needs to go through a procedure, which is not always positive. He’s a big player for us, a player that has such versatility and capacity to compete in various positions, and that’s a big blow.

“It’s a very rare injury so we have to wait and see once we have the surgery, how that reacts daily, obviously monitor it throughout the week for the surgery and see.”

While Merino has been completely ruled out of the London derby, Bukayo Saka has an outside chance of making the game, having recovered well from his hip problem last weekend.

Arteta added on Saka: “We have to wait. Today he was better but we have to wait and see how he responds, and then make the decision.

“It doesn’t look like something too serious. Whether he’s going to be available for tomorrow or the weekend, we’ll see.”

The Englishman sustained the setback in the warm-up at Elland Road, and he was replaced immediately with Noni Madueke, who had a fine outing with an assist and a goal.

Madueke had not made a single goal contribution in the Premier League for Arsenal before Saturday. He made a big impact with a man-of-the-match display in West Yorkshire.

The 23-year-old will be hugely motivated to face his former employers Chelsea tomorrow, and he looks likely to start ahead of Bukayo Saka, regardless of the latter’s fitness.

Arsenal have a 3-2 advantage after the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final, but the result could have been much different. The Gunners conceded a couple of poor goals.

The club need to avoid a defeat tomorrow to qualify for their first Cup final since 2020 when they came from behind to beat the Blues in the FA Cup final thanks to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Stats from Transfermarkt.com

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