What changed
Arsenal lost Piero Hincapie and Martin Zubimendi to injuries in a post-match training session after Saturday’s 2-1 Premier League win over Leeds.
Hincapie, who came on in the 82nd minute, was carried off. Zubimendi, an unused substitute, was also hurt. Mikel Arteta said Hincapie’s ankle injury appeared more serious, but both players will need further scans before Arsenal knows how long they may be out.
Why it matters
The injuries came in a small-sided game arranged for players who had not played a full match. Arsenal uses these sessions to keep the squad in rhythm while allowing the regular starters to recover.
That plan has now created a fresh selection problem just before Tuesday’s Champions League match against Lille. Hincapie has mostly appeared from the bench this season, with three Premier League substitute appearances, while Zubimendi has made five. But Hincapie started Arsenal’s Champions League win over Napoli last month, showing that both remain part of Arteta’s wider options.
Arteta called the situation “far from ideal” and joked that the only foolproof prevention would have been sending the pair straight to the jacuzzi. The real answer should arrive with the scans: until then, Arsenal has two injured players and no reliable return date.
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