Arsenal new signing Mikel Merino return timeline from shoulder injury CONFIRMED

Merino suffered this injury during his first training with the Gunners.

Arsenal have been hit with a big blow. Their new signing Mikel Merino is reported to be out for two months. This is after fracturing his shoulder during his first training session with the Gunners.

Arsenal signed the Spanish player from Real Sociedad for €32.5 million ($36m). Mikel Arteta wanted to reinforce his midfield to challenge Manchester City for the Premier League title this season.

However, during his first training session with his new teammates, the midfielder collided with centre-back Gabriel Magalhães at London Colney.

This is unfortunate news for Arteta as his side will miss the absence of the player. He was expected to make his debut against Brighton & Hove Albion which culminated in a 1-1 draw.

“Very unfortunate,” Arteta told a news conference. “On [Thursday] he had a collision and he has a shoulder injury unfortunately. It looks like he’s going to be out for a few weeks. First session. He was really excited and everything was looking really good.

“He landed on the floor and Gabi landed on top of him and it looks like he has a small fracture, probably.

“We have to see [how long he is out for]. He was in so much pain. We’ll have to do some more tests on that and then we’ll have more conclusive answers.”

North London teams’ fans will now have to wait for two months to see their new signing wearing the Gunners’ jersey on the pitch. Meanwhile, Gabriel Jesus, who also suffered an injury, missed the Brighton game. His return remains to be seen.

Arsenal have gained only seven points in their last three games after the start of the new season. Their rivals Manchester City and Liverpool are two points ahead of them.

Arsenal have been on the brink of winning the championship for the past two seasons. Both times City had derailed their hopes. They will once again take this new season as another opportunity to take on City. However, this time Liverpool will also pose a threat to their championship hopes as they have looked solid in the league.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Telegram.