Arsenal faces a double setback ahead of their clash with Brighton.
New signing Mikel Merino has been ruled out after sustaining a shoulder injury during his first training session, while goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale has completed a permanent transfer to Southampton.
Merino, who suffered a small fracture, is expected to be sidelined for several weeks, adding to Mikel Arteta’s injury concerns, with Gabriel Jesus and Takehiro Tomiyasu already unavailable.
Ramsdale, who joined Arsenal in 2021 and was a standout performer in the Premier League, bids farewell after making 89 appearances.
He played a pivotal role in Arsenal’s 2023 FA Community Shield victory and earned a spot in the PFA Team of the Year for the 2022/23 season.
Both Arteta and Sporting Director Edu Gaspar have expressed their gratitude for Ramsdale’s contributions and wished him well in his new chapter with Southampton.
The club disclosed these developments in two statements on Friday.
According to a statement titled “Merino to Miss Brighton Game Through Injury,” Arteta said the player sustained a shoulder problem and is expected to be out of action for a few weeks.
“It’s very unfortunate,” Arteta said. “Yesterday he had a collision and got a shoulder injury. He’s going to be out for a few weeks.
“It’s really bad luck, and we were all very excited. He was looking very good, he landed on the floor, Gabi went on top of him, and it looks like he’s got a small fracture. He was in so much pain, so we have to wait and see with the staff to do some more tests for conclusive answers.”
Arteta also provided updates on Gabriel Jesus and Takehiro Tomiyasu, who are recovering from groin and knee injuries, respectively, but are not in contention for Saturday’s game.
“[Gabriel] is progressing really well,” he said. “He had a muscle injury and is already doing quite a lot, so we expect him to be with us pretty soon.
“[With Tomi] at the moment, it is difficult to say. The first phase of that injury is progressing a bit slowly. It’s probably best for the medical team to provide more information. He hasn’t started training yet.”
In another statement, Ramsdale’s permanent transfer to Southampton was confirmed after three years with Arsenal.
The statement, titled “Aaron Ramsdale Has Joined Southampton in a Permanent Transfer,” detailed Ramsdale’s achievements during his time at the club.
“Aaron joined us from Sheffield United in August 2021 and made 89 appearances in all competitions. During his time with us, Aaron was voted into the PFA Team of the Year for 2022/23, a campaign where he played every single minute of our Premier League season.
“He also won the Premier League Save of the Month award in both March and April 2023 and played a crucial part in our 2023 FA Community Shield victory over Manchester City, saving a penalty in our 4-1 shootout win at Wembley.”
A regular for England at youth levels, Aaron won the UEFA Under-19 Championship in 2017 and made his full England debut in November 2021.
He was in the England squads that reached the Euro 2020 and 2024 finals, as well as the quarterfinals of the 2022 World Cup, the statement further explained.
Sporting Director Edu said, “We are pleased to have reached a very positive transfer agreement with Southampton, and Aaron leaves us with our best wishes.
“We thank Aaron for his performances for the club since joining us three years ago, and we wish him and his family well in their new chapter.”
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