Arsenal's Per Mertesacker Reportedly 'Unhurt' After Car Accident

Arsenal centre-back Per Mertesacker escaped unhurt after his car reportedly aquaplaned into the central reservation of the M1 motorway on Monday.

Sam Relph of the Daily Mirror wrote that the World Cup-winning defender lost control of the vehicle during torrential rain and skidded into the crash area on standing water. A club source quoted in the piece stated that Mertesacker was “shaken but unhurt” following the accident. Arsenal have also insisted he is fit to return to training.

Here's the statement from the source in full:

"

Per had an accident after he left training this morning [Monday] when he went onto the M1 returning home. The car aquaplaned into the crash area on the central reservation.

He was shaken up but not injured. No other vehicles were involved and there was no one else in his car. It’s not a big deal. Per is fine and ready to return to training.

"

A witness quoted in Relph’s piece recounted the aftermath: “Per was sitting looking shaken alongside cops on M1 near the Bricket Wood/Watford turnoff after a car crash.”

The imposing German has missed Arsenal’s last three Premier League matches with a virus. As reported by Relph, Mertesacker was not expected to feature for the Gunners in Wednesday's Champions League clash at Dinamo Zagreb, but he could make his return to the first team for Arsenal’s visit to Chelsea early on Saturday.

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Without Mertesacker, the Gunners haven’t really struggled defensively, keeping a clean sheet in their last three games. But manager Arsene Wenger will be desperate to have the 30-year-old available again as soon as possible with some hugely important games on the horizon.