Gabriel Jesus close to return to the pitch
Midfielder’s debut Michela Merino for Arsenal postponed – Spanish newcomer suffered a shoulder injury in training.
This is how head coach Mikel Arteta commented on the incident:
“It was really unfortunate and we were all very worried. He looked very good, landed on the turf, Gabi came down on top of him and he probably got a small fracture. He was in a lot of pain so we have to wait and do some more tests with the staff to get more definitive answers.”
According to the coach, his compatriot will be out of action for several weeks. Merino is guaranteed to miss tomorrow’s match with Brighton, and will also most likely not help the team in the derby with Tottenham, which will take place on August 15 – after the break for international games.
Also, as Arteta said, striker Gabriel Jesus is close to returning to the field. Defender Takehiro Tomiyasu, however, continues to recover from an injury and has not yet started training.
Recall that Arsenal officially announced the signing of a long-term contract with Merino on August 27. Earlier it was reported that the Gunners had reached an agreement on the transfer of the 28-year-old player from Real Sociedad. According to media reports, the transfer amounted to 32 million euros, with another 5 million provided as bonuses.
The Gunners made a strong start to the new season, with Arteta’s men beating Wolverhampton at home (2-0) and then beating Aston Villa away (2-0).
Source: Sportarena
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