Hincapié and Zubimendi ruled out after warm‑down injuries as Saliba resumes training

Mikel Arteta said Piero Hincapié and Martín Zubimendi suffered ankle injuries during the warm‑down after Arsenal’s win against Leeds on Saturday and will miss Tuesday’s Champions League home match against Lille. William Saliba has resumed training on his own as he recovers from a back injury sustained at the World Cup.

Arteta described the situation as frustrating and said the club had planned a training session after the game. “We had a training session planned after the game for the players,” he said, adding: “They didn’t have enough minutes to get everybody in the right rhythm and in two very unfortunate actions, we lost two players.” He called the timing “far from ideal” but rejected changing the post‑match routine.

Arteta criticised the actions of Leeds’s staff after the game, saying he was disappointed when the reserve goalkeeper carried Hincapié off the pitch rather than waiting for a stretcher. “That’s something else not to discuss here,” he said, then confirmed scans were scheduled. “Today they’re going to have a further scan and probably tomorrow we’ll know more and then we’ll see how they’re going to go. Piero’s one looks a little bit more serious, I think, but we’ll have to wait and see.”

Both Hincapié and Zubimendi had been expected to feature against Lille after not starting in the Premier League this season. Arteta indicated their lack of minutes was a factor in the decision to put the post‑match session in place.

There was better news over Saliba, who has resumed individual training following the back problem picked up at the World Cup. Arteta would not commit to a return date and said he was being careful with the defender’s recovery: “We’re still talking about weeks.”

With Hincapié and Zubimendi unavailable, Gabriel Magalhães is likely to again partner Ezri Konsa for the match against his former club on Tuesday. Gabriel, reflecting on his missed penalty in the Champions League final against Paris Saint‑Germain, said: “I was sad, and I didn’t want to miss a penalty, but I have learned from this and if I have another opportunity, I will be ready to take it.”

Scans on Monday will determine the extent of the ankle injuries and confirm whether either player might be available after the club hosts Lille in Tuesday’s Champions League fixture.