Mikel Arteta shares triple Arsenal injury update as Martin Zubimendi, Piero Hincapie problems explained

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has shared a triple injury update ahead of Tuesday's Champions League league-phase clash with Lille at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners came through their 2-1 Premier League win over Leeds United on Saturday unscathed but suffered two issues during the warm-down, as Piero Hincapie and Martin Zubimendi both sustained injuries.

Hincapie was carried off the field after picking up an ankle problem, while Zubimendi was reported to have suffered a knock while taking part in drills with his fellow substitutes.

Hincapie and Zubimendi both missed training on Monday morning, suggesting that the pair would be unavailable for the clash with Lille, and Arteta confirmed as such in his pre-game press conference.

Asked to explain what happened with Hincapie and Zubimendi, the Spaniard replied: "It happened. We had a training session after the game for the players that didn't have enough minutes to get everybody in the rhythm.

Mikel Arteta explains Piero Hincapie, Martin Zubimendi Arsenal injuries

"In two very unfortunate actions we lost two players. Not great. We need to assess them today, they have further scans to see where they are and then we'll have the timeframe on how long they're going to be out for.

"Both ankles. They're both going to miss tomorrow's match for sure, probably tomorrow we will know more. Piero's one looks a little bit more serious, but we have to wait and see."

Hincapie has already missed 16 matches for club and country since first joining Arsenal on loan from Bayer Leverkusen in 2025, owing to a pair of groin problems and two separate muscular issues.

However, Zubimendi had not suffered a single injury in an Arsenal kit before Saturday's blow; his most recent enforced absence was in May 2024 for Real Sociedad due to a hamstring problem.

Hincapie and Zubimendi are expected to be two of four Arsenal omissions against Lille, as Christos Tzolis is missing for a few weeks with a hamstring problem, while William Saliba is a long-term absentee with a back injury.

Mikel Arteta reveals new William Saliba injury timeline

However, Saliba was seen taking part in individual training on Monday morning, and Arteta is hopeful that the France international will be able to resume team training in the coming weeks.

"Now it's over a week, we're managing that load and how many sessions he can do. In the next few weeks we can start to introduce him with the team," Arteta added.

Asked if Saliba could potentially return to first-team football before or after the November international break, Arteta remained coy, responding: "We're still talking about weeks, and when that happens it's very difficult to say whether he will play before or after that."

Saliba went into the 2026 World Cup carrying a long-term back problem, which he exacerbated against Spain in the semi-finals, although the centre-back is anticipated to return before the end of the calendar year.