Mikel Merino, who underwent surgery on a fractured foot earlier in the season, is out of his boot and doing "quite a lot of exercises already", Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said, giving the club a real chance he could return for the final games of the season.
Arteta laid out the development after Arsenal reached the Champions League final, citing the midfielder's smooth recovery as one of several encouraging treatment-room updates. "He's another one that is going to push every boundary. He's out of his boot now. He's doing quite a lot of exercises already. He's reacted really well to the surgery. He's got no pain... I'm sure there is a chance to make that period shorter," Arteta said.
The timing of Merino's recovery matters because Arsenal are carrying momentum. On Tuesday night they beat Atletico Madrid 1-0 at the Emirates Stadium and advanced 2-1 on aggregate to book a place in the Champions League final. Bukayo Saka scored the winning goal that night and Martin Odegaard made his comeback from injury as a second-half substitute.
That run leaves Arsenal with two trophies still in play and an intense final stretch on the calendar: Arsenal are scheduled to play West Ham United at the London Stadium on Sunday 10 May. Treatment-room updates have been followed closely as the club navigates a congested finish, and Merino's return timeline has become part of that conversation — talk that has picked up pace inside the club and among supporters as his recovery accelerates.
There is a clear gap between optimism and certainty. Arteta's assessment is the most positive public signal so far: Merino has reacted well to surgery, is out of his boot and "doing quite a lot of exercises already". But even after Tuesday's win and Odegaard's return to action, the manager stopped short of a fixed date. Martin Odegaard himself urged caution: "We have to take it a little day by day."
The friction is simple and immediate. Recovery from a fractured foot that required surgery is rarely linear. Progress visible in a dressing room — being out of a boot, starting exercises, and reporting no pain — is not the same as being match-fit, especially with a Champions League final and a crucial Premier League run-in looming. Arteta has acknowledged that possibility even as he suggested there is a chance to shorten Merino's lay-off.
For Arsenal the stakes are practical and tactical. Merino's return would strengthen midfield options at a moment when match minutes are precious, cover for late-game substitutions is needed and the squad must balance two high-stakes fronts. The club's victory over Atletico and Saka's decisive goal underline why every available player counts now.
The most consequential unanswered question is straightforward: can Merino be ready in time to contribute meaningfully in the closing fixtures, starting with the trip to the London Stadium on Sunday 10 May and through the Champions League final? Arteta's optimism and Merino's clear progress make that a live possibility; Odegaard's day-by-day caveat keeps it uncertain. The club will monitor aches, training intensity and the jump from exercises back to full sessions, and supporters will track each update as the calendar narrows.
For now, the picture is hopeful rather than definitive. Merino underwent surgery, has come out of his boot, is exercising and has "reacted really well to the surgery" — Arteta's words — and the club acknowledges there is a chance he could return for the season's final games. Whether that chance becomes a pick for a starting XI or a late substitute appearance will be decided in the days and training sessions ahead.
