Mikel Merino provides Arsenal return update after surgery on foot injury: 'Closer to being back' | OneFootball

Midfielder faces a fight to play again this season

That procedure took place on Monday, with Merino taking to Instagram to share a picture from his hospital bed.

Merino posted: "Surgery done! Already closer to be back.

"Thank you so much to everyone for your messages and love. It really gives me even more energy to face the challenge. Vamos!"

Declan Rice said in reply: "With you brother."

Martin Zubimendi, meanwhile, paid tribute to his Spanish team-mate by copying his celebration and pointing to the stands when scoring against Sunderland on Saturday.

Merino's father recently confirmed that his son had suffered a stress fracture to his foot, an injury that Mikel Arteta has described as "very rare".

Merino now faces a race to return to action before the end of the season and keep his World Cup hopes alive.

Arsenal hope that Merino will be fit to feature in May in the final weeks of the campaign, in what could be the decisive period for the club's trophy hopes domestically and in Europe.

Asked if he expected Merino to play again this season, Arteta said:  “Well, we hope so.

“I don't know. Obviously, he needs to go through a procedure, which is never always positive. He's a big player for us.

“An athlete that has such versatility and capacity to compete in various positions. Yeah, that's a big blow.

"Let's see. It's a very rare injury, so we have to wait and see once we have the surgery. How that reacts daily."