Arsenal’s Mikel Merino admits causing Martin Zubimendi freak injury

Mikel Merino

Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino has revealed that he accidentally caused the injury that kept team-mate Martin Zubimendi out of midweek action, describing the incident as a freak accident during a post-match training session.

The Evening Standard reports that both Zubimendi and defender Piero Hincapie picked up ankle problems in the immediate aftermath of Arsenal’s 2-1 Premier League victory against Leeds at the Emirates Stadium. The post-match workload was designed for squad members who had seen little or no action during the game.

A post-match tackle goes wrong

Zubimendi remained on the bench throughout the win against Leeds, while Hincapie featured only as a late substitute for Riccardo Calafiori. The subsequent session was arranged to maintain fitness levels for non-starting players, but it resulted in two immediate fitness blows for manager Mikel Arteta.

Speaking to Spanish radio station Cadena Ser about the incident involving his international colleague, Merino explained his role in the tackle that damaged Zubimendi’s ankle.

“He is fine, he had his ankle a little bit hurt due to an action with me and if there is anyone that doesn’t want to hurt him, it’s me.”

Merino was quick to reassure supporters about the severity of the blow, offering a positive assessment on the midfielder’s recovery timetable.

“It was a freak accident in training but he’s fine, he is a bull and recovers quickly.”

Arteta defends squad workout

Neither Zubimendi nor Hincapie was fit enough to be involved on Tuesday evening as Arsenal secured a comfortable 3-0 victory against Lille in the Champions League. Hincapie’s damage appears to be the more significant of the two, having required assistance from goalkeeper Illan Meslier to leave the field after the session.

Arteta was forced to defend the intensity of the session when addressing reporters, pointing out that such small-sided games are a normal part of their routine for non-playing squad members.

The Arsenal manager emphasised that in his seven years in charge at the club, no similar setbacks had occurred during post-match work. He noted that the fitness issues were simply unfortunate and could easily have occurred during a standard training session the following day.

Forest trip on the horizon

The manager provided a brief update after the midweek European victory, confirming that Zubimendi was feeling much better. The former Real Sociedad star is in contention to feature when Arsenal travel to face Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Sunday.

That fixture precedes a crucial Champions League trip to face Bayern Munich, making Zubimendi’s rapid recovery a vital boost for Arteta’s midfield depth. Hincapie, however, has already been ruled out of both upcoming matches as he continues to undergo scans and assessment on his ankle.