The Arsenal defender is a throwback to centre-halves of old and he's not known to milk injuries unless he's seriously hurt.
And there was no doubt about the damage left on the former German international following a collision with Gary Cahill in the first half of Sunday's Community Shield.
Competing for the ball in the air, Cahill rose highest and saw his left elbow make contact with Mertesacker's eyebrow.
And, all of a sudden, there was blood all over the Wembley surface.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqGRiGUSYjY
Mertesacker hit the deck instantly and BT Sport cameras captured the red geyser as it poured from the 32-year-old's forehead.
With stitches certainly required, the cut was so bad that manager Arsene Wenger was forced to withdraw Mertesacker and replace him with new signing Sead Kolasinac.
Mertesacker is certainly going to feel that one tomorrow.
The surprising stories behind national teams’ nicknames National football teams, more often than not, have nicknames that reflect their country’s culture, history or identity. Scotland, for example, is known as the ‘Tartan Army’, which is a reference to the traditional tartan patterns associated with the nation’s historic clans. Spain’s team on the other hand, goes […]
FIFA have been told to take action. World Cup organisers FIFA have been urged to “ban” a tactic that proved pivotal to England’s 4-2 victory over Croatia on Wednesday. The Three Lions took charge of the tournament’s group L, with a dominant second half performance, that saw Thomas Tuchel’s side climb to the top of […]
The World Cup has officially arrived As England’s opener at the 2026 World Cup against Croatia is only a few hours away, hundreds of England fans have downed more than 5,000 beers ahead of the game. Hundreds of fans have defied pleas from police to move on from a Dallas club downing thousands of pints […]