New Arsenal signing Mikel Merino has been blown away by head coach Mikel Arteta's training and methods since joining the club.
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Merino joined Gunners this summerMade debut against PSG after shoulder injuryEyes opened by Arteta and his methodsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Merino finally recovered from a shoulder injury to make his Arsenal debut in the 2-0 win against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday night. The Spaniard has been watching from the sidelines since joining the Gunners but has still been left stunned by what he has seen from Mikel Arteta. Merino even went as far as to describe his injury as a "blessing in disguise" as it allowed him to get up to speed quicker.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT MERINO SAID
Speaking after the Champions League match, he said of Arteta: "It’s something that is amazing, to be honest with you,” said Merino, when asked about training under Arteta. They do some things that I have never seen in my career. The methods they use are completely new to me, so obviously it takes some time to adapt.
"I don’t want to tell everything that we do, but there is no rest between one moment and the other. They are always challenging you mentally with different stimuluses. It makes you always all the time aware of what is happening around you.
"I think that when you get it, you are in a different level because they challenge you every single day – not only physically, but mentally. That makes you be sharp mentally and that’s what you are going to find out in the game."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Merino's return comes at a timely moment for Arsenal, who have been having midfield problems. The absence of Martin Odegaard has since a drop in creativity in the side and it also means less rest for the likes of Declan Rice, Thomas Partey and Jorginho. With Merino now available for selection, Arteta can rotate his side more.
Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR MERINO?
Having played the best part of 30 minutes for the Gunners in midweek, Merino could be in line to start against Southampton in the Premier League on Saturday. The match will also see the return of Aaron Ramsdale, who left for the Saints this summer.