Mikel Merino has been pushing Arsenal staff to let him out ‘the cage’ as he has a chance of returning next week from his fractured shoulder in a major boost for the club.
The midfielder has been made to wait for his Gunners debut since signing from Real Sociedad after suffering a freak injury in his first training session, Gabriel having landed on him.
But according to Mikel Arteta, Merino could be back ahead of schedule for Arsenal’s match against Southampton next weekend.
Prior to the Gunners’ match again Leicester on Saturday, Arteta said: ‘Tomorrow is too soon. Next week we’ll see. He had partial training today. He’s been working so hard.
‘It’s looking good. It’s about the healing of the bone and how mature that is to expose him to contact basically.
‘We are trying to keep him in the cage, because he’s been pushing everyone — the physios, the doctors, everybody — and he’s ready to go, and he really wants it.
'I think we are comfortable now to start exposing him with contact, and he looked really good in training.’
Pep Guardiola had said his friendship with Arteta was not damaged following the hard-fought 2-2 draw between Arsenal and Manchester City last Sunday, which featured a number of flashpoints.
When asked how they pair can keep that relationship going, Arteta replied: ‘First of all, because I love him, I respect him, I admire him and I admire his team and everything that he does. This is sport.
Arteta also added that his personal relationship with Pep Guardiola has not been damaged after last week's dramatic draw between Arsenal and Man City
‘One thing is our profession another is our personal relationship. If our relationship was damaged because one draws and the other one wins or the amount of times that they’ve beaten us, I would not talk to him anymore.
‘So that’s not our relationship, especially the relationship that I consider both of us have. In sport it will never get in my way a personal relationship. That’s for sure.’