Merino, returning to training after recovering from injury, is grateful for the extra motivation he receives from the care and support of his teammates.

The 2025/26 Premier League season is about to conclude with its final match, and champions Arsenal will travel to Selhurst Park to challenge Crystal Palace. Spanish midfielder Merino stated that maintaining a positive attitude towards injuries is crucial, and also mentioned receiving extra motivation from the support and care of his teammates.

In January, during Arsenal's home game against Manchester United, 29-year-old Merino suffered a foot fracture, requiring surgery and sidelining him for approximately four months. After a period of rehabilitation, Merino has recently returned to training.

Arsenal midfielder Merino said in an interview: "When I woke up this morning, I felt like it was the first day of school, and I came to the training ground with a nervous feeling. Seeing all my teammates again and being able to feel their love for me is indescribable. My foot is recovering very well now, and I don't even think about the injury anymore. I am really happy to be back on the training ground and with everyone."

“I’ve been training very hard during this time, not only on the grass, but also with the fitness team and physiotherapists. I’m doing my best every day so that when I return to the team I can be as close to my best as possible. I feel great now and my body is fully ready.”

Speaking about his foot injury, Merino said, "This was a stress fracture in a very rare location on the foot, one that even experts had never seen before. At first, it was really strange, and I was actually a little scared because we didn't have any similar cases to refer to. So we had no idea how this kind of injury would develop, how the recovery process should go, or whether I would be able to play football again."

“The beginning was really tough. I played through an injury for a while, but I never expected to end up with such a serious fracture. When the doctor told me that it would take about five months to recover, all I could think about was that I might miss the World Cup, miss the final stages of the season, and not be able to help the team. So I was really devastated at the time.”

Merino continued, “It took me a few days to slowly accept all of this, but then I realized that I actually had two choices: either to completely give up or to lift my head and maintain a positive attitude, and use this time to improve my other abilities, which has always been my way of facing life.”

“I really felt a lot of love. I always wanted to stay with the team, and even though I was injured, I wanted to continue to support everyone. Players can become a little selfish after an injury, focusing only on their own recovery. But in reality, players are still going through all of this with their teammates. I tried to get closer to them, and I found that they also care about me a lot.”

In addition, Merino said, "Every time they see me, they ask me how my recovery is going and if I'm feeling better. They tell me that they've always supported me and believe I'll be back to help the team soon. They even joke that they hope I can score a header in the Champions League final. These little exchanges always give me extra motivation and make me feel like I'm still part of the team."

On the other hand, after the Premier League season ends, Arsenal will focus all their efforts on the Champions League final, where Arteta's team will compete with Paris Saint-Germain for the title.

Image source: Internet