Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta confirmed Piero Hincapié was not the only player injured in the team’s post-match cooldown following Saturday’s 2–1 win over Leeds United.
The Gunners also lost midfielder Martín Zubimendi, who did not even play in the match, to an ankle injury. Neither he nor Hincapié were in training ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League meeting with Lille.
“We had a training session planned after the game for the players,” Arteta told reporters. “They didn’t have enough minutes to get everybody in the right rhythm and in two very unfortunate actions, we lost two players.
“When they have to play, they have no rhythm, and when you ask them to play, they’re going to have no impact in the game. [The injuries] could happen at the Emirates; it never happened in the seven years I was here. It could happen the next day in the training session, and that has happened before, and hopefully it happens now and doesn’t happen again. What can you do? If I knew I had a crystal ball clear, I’d say: ‘Guys, go in the Jacuzzi, everybody, I’ll see you tomorrow.’”
Both players have been sent for scans to determine the severity of their ankle injuries, with Arteta particularly concerned over Hincapié’s condition.
“Piero’s one looks a little bit more serious I think, but we’ll have to wait and see,” he sighed.
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Zubimendi’s Frustrating Season Continues
It was not too long ago that Zubimendi was being hailed as the transformative piece of Arsenal’s midfield puzzle.
The Spaniard started 34 Premier League games last season en route to Arsenal’s title triumph, but already knows he cannot match that total this time around after starting each of the team’s six matches this season on the bench.
Just 89 minutes have been found for Zubimendi in the league this season, with the 27-year-old tumbling behind new signing Bruno Guimarães and youngster Myles Lewis-Skelly in the battle to be Declan Rice’s midfield partner.
Zubimendi’s quest to prove himself to Arteta once again will have taken a tough blow by this injury, which is destined to keep him on the sidelines for at least a brief period—likely a handful of weeks.
The fixtures are starting to pile up for Arsenal, who still have five games left to play in October. Arteta built a deep squad specifically to navigate these hectic periods but he is now going to have to do so without a player who would have jumped at the rare opportunity to prove his worth.
Transfer speculation continues to swirl around Zubimendi, who was one of the most in-demand midfielders in the world just 18 months ago, and those rumors will not disappear with a spell on the sidelines.
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