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Mikel Arteta confirmed that fitness issues kept both Mikel Merino and Ben White out of Arsenal's 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace on Wednesday night.
The Gunners, with one eye focused on the Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain, produced a shoddy midweek performance at the Emirates as they dropped more Premier League points. Liverpool now need just a single point to claim the title.
The boss has opted against wholesale rotation in the aftermath of the club's quarter-final defeat of Real Madrid, although Raheem Sterling was included in Wednesday's XI after Bukayo Saka took a heavy knock to the Achilles at the weekend.
His ability to rotate from Sunday's win at Ipswich Town was compromised further by the unavailability of two senior players, with Merino and White missing out.
Why Ben White and Mikel Merino missed Crystal Palace draw
💬 "They couldn't be involved - if not they would have been. Unfortunately, after the game [against Ipswich] we had some issues and they are not fit."
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) April 23, 2025
Mikel on Merino and White's absences tonight 🎙️ pic.twitter.com/VhxLx5m2W8
Arteta explained the pair's absence before kick-off: "They couldn't be involved - if not they would have been. Unfortunately, after the game [against Ipswich] we had some issues and they are not fit."
The two players were included in the starting XI at Portman Road, with Merino, in particular, starring as he returned to a midfield function. The Spaniard teed up Gabriel Martinelli with a genius flick and was withdrawn before the hour mark. After a slow start to his Arsenal career, Merino has found his groove as a makeshift centre-forward in recent weeks, playing a key role in the club's slaying of Madrid.
The boss provided little information on Merino's fitness setback, but the summer arrival is now regarded as a doubt for next week's first leg against PSG. With Thomas Partey suspended, he was expected to play in midfield and operate in tandem with Leandro Trossard (similar to how the pair operated at Ipswich).
"“We’ll have to wait and see, they weren’t able to be in the squad today.”"Arteta on White and Merino vs PSG
White is less likely to start against the French champions due to Jurrien Timber, and has enjoyed a relatively subdued return to action after making his comeback from knee surgery in February. The defender has suffered a couple of subsequent niggles which have seen him miss several training sessions, and I wouldn't be surprised if it's his knee which is bothering him again.
We can only hope that White's knee doesn't plague his career in a similar vein to Gabriel Jesus after the Brazilian underwent surgery at the end of 2022.