Mikel Arteta has expressed his disappointment after Piero Hincapié and Martín Zubimendi suffered ankle problems during a recovery session following Arsenal’s victory over Leeds on Saturday.
The pair are scheduled to undergo scans on Monday to establish the severity of their injuries. Arteta confirmed that neither player would be available for Tuesday’s Champions League home fixture against Lille, adding that Hincapié’s condition appeared to be the more concerning of the two.
The manager explained that an additional session had been arranged after the match because some members of the squad had not played enough minutes to maintain their sharpness. However, two unfortunate incidents during that session resulted in both players being injured.
Arteta acknowledged that the situation was highly inconvenient but rejected the idea of altering the team’s post-match routine. He argued that players need such sessions to stay match-ready and make an impact when called upon. Injuries can occur at any time, he said, and there was no way to predict that these particular incidents would happen.
Hincapié and Zubimendi had been in contention to play against Lille after being left out of the starting lineup in the Premier League this season. Arteta also appeared unhappy with Illan Meslier and the coaching staff after the backup goalkeeper carried Hincapié from the field instead of waiting for a stretcher.
Arteta declined to discuss that incident further. He said additional examinations would provide a clearer picture of the players’ recovery prospects, while reiterating that Hincapié’s injury seemed slightly more severe.
Arsenal received more encouraging news regarding William Saliba, who has returned to individual training while recovering from the back injury he sustained at the World Cup. Arteta refused to set a precise return date for the France international and stressed that the club would not accelerate his rehabilitation, with the defender still expected to be unavailable for several weeks.
Gabriel Magalhães is expected to line up alongside Ezri Konsa once more when he faces his former club on Tuesday. The Brazilian defender said he would be willing to take another shootout penalty despite failing to convert the decisive attempt in the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain. He admitted the miss was painful but said he had learned from the experience and would be prepared to step forward again.
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