Hincapie, Zubimendi Ruled Out of Arsenal’s Champions League Clash With Lille
Arsenal will be without Piero Hincapie and Martin Zubimendi for Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League meeting with Lille after both players suffered injuries in training, manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed.
Arteta said the pair were hurt during a session organised for players who had limited minutes in Arsenal’s 2-1 Premier League win over Leeds United on Saturday. The club is now waiting for further medical checks to establish how serious the injuries are and how long the players will be unavailable.
Speaking at the Sobha Realty Training Centre, Arteta described the situation as unfortunate, saying Arsenal lost two players in two separate incidents. He confirmed both will definitely miss the Lille match and that scans would provide more clarity.
The Arsenal boss added that Hincapie’s injury appears more serious than Zubimendi’s, though a definite recovery timeline has not yet been set. Hincapie had come on in the 80th minute against Leeds to help Arsenal see out the victory.
Asked whether the additional training session could have been avoided, Arteta defended the decision. He said players need training to maintain match sharpness, warning that without it they would lack rhythm and struggle to influence games. He also noted that contact injuries can happen in small-sided sessions and that Arsenal had held similar sessions 37 times last season without the same problem.
On William Saliba, Arteta said the defender has resumed individual work on the pitch and has been training on grass for more than a week. However, the manager cautioned that Saliba remains weeks away from competitive action and will be assessed before being reintroduced to the squad. Arteta said his return could come either before or after the November international break, depending on his rehabilitation.
Arsenal face Lille on Tuesday as they continue their Champions League campaign, with the fresh injuries handing Arteta a setback ahead of the European fixture.
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