Mikel Arteta has responded to criticism levelled at Arsenal star by Jamie Carragher ahead of the Champions League clash with Girona
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has defended summer signing Mikel Merino following criticism from pundit Jamie Carragher. The Spanish midfielder joined Arsenal in a £32m move from Real Sociedad but has struggled for consistent game time due to injuries.
Merino, 28, has started only a third of Arsenal’s Premier League matches this season, leading Carragher to question the wisdom of the transfer. However, Arteta remains optimistic about Merino’s contributions, praising his character and recent performances.
“He’s been quite unfortunate, to be honest,” Arteta said at Tuesday’s pre-Champions League press conference. “But Mikel’s character is unbelievable. He’s so determined, and now he has some rhythm and momentum. He’s had some very good moments in the last few weeks with us.”
Although Merino missed Arsenal’s narrow 1-0 victory over Wolves due to a minor injury, he has since returned to training and is available for this weekend’s Premier League clash against Manchester City.
“Unfortunately, he had a little niggle. It was nothing serious, but when you play every two and a half days, missing two matches feels like a lot. He’s fit again, and it’s great to have him back in the team,” Arteta added.
Arsenal are set to wrap up a promising Champions League group stage campaign against Girona on Wednesday. The Gunners currently sit third in the 36-team group standings and are eager to secure their position in the knockout stages.
“We’re here to win the game, and to do that, we need to be better than them,” Arteta said, acknowledging Girona’s quality. “They’re a really good side. If you look at their Champions League games against top opposition, they’ve made life very difficult. Tomorrow, it will require a very strong performance to achieve what we want.”
In a boost for Arsenal, the FA Independent Regulatory Commission overturned the red card shown to youngster Myles Lewis-Skelly during Saturday’s match against Wolves. The decision ensures the highly-rated midfielder remains available for upcoming fixtures.
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