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Mikel Arteta faces selection dilemma over midfield choices for Arsenal

Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Oct 11, 2026, 1:05 PM

Last updated Oct 11, 2026

Mikel Arteta faces selection dilemma over midfield choices for Arsenal

Summary

Mikel Arteta acknowledged a challenging selection decision for Arsenal ahead of their upcoming matches. After a strong international break, both Mikel Merino and Martin Odegaard made compelling cases for a starting position. Despite Merino's impressive contributions, Arteta chose to start Odegaard and brought Merino off the bench. Arsenal's busy schedule includes a home match against Lille OSC and away games at Nottingham Forest and Bayern Munich, giving both players opportunities to showcase their skills.

Source Links

Yahoo Sports

Status Watch

•Arteta had to choose between Mikel Merino and Martin Odegaard for a starting spot.
•Both players performed well during the September-October international break.
•Odegaard started the match, with Merino coming on as a substitute.
•Arsenal's schedule features multiple fixtures over the next month.
•The team aims to maintain form while managing player workloads.

Latest Updates

1:05 PMYahoo Sports — Mikel Arteta admits to selection dilemma

What they're saying

"
Mikel Arteta has admitted that Mikel Merino and Martin Odegaard gave him a selection problem over the weekend, having both played so well over the international break.Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty...
— Yahoo Sports

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