Arsenal Afternoon Round-Up, Monday 12th October 2026: Arteta Confirms Hincapie and Zubimendi Injury Blow Ahead of Lille Clash
Mikel Arteta faced the media on Monday to preview Tuesday night's Champions League clash with Lille, and the headline news was far from positive on the fitness front (Football.London) (Arsenal.com). The boss confirmed that Piero Hincapie and Martin Zubimendi both picked up ankle injuries during a post-match training session following the win over Leeds United, with Arteta admitting the situation is "far from ideal" (BBC Sport) (BBC Sport). The Guardian add that the pair were hurt during the warm-down after that Leeds victory (The Guardian), while Football.London reported four players missed training altogether as the squad dealt with a fresh double injury blow (Football.London) (Football.London).
There was at least a crumb of good news on the fitness front, with William Saliba said to have resumed training on his own after his back issue, giving Arteta a boost ahead of the Lille game (Football.London) (Arsenal.com) (The Guardian). Arteta was also asked about the Piero Hincapie incident and gave a timeline for his return, though specifics were not detailed beyond the injury update itself (Football.London). The manager admitted he has no "crystal ball" to prevent these kinds of knocks from happening (BBC Sport).
On team news, Football.London report that lineup plans for the Lille match include an agreement reportedly reached with Bukayo Saka, while Riccardo Calafiori is set to be rested as Arteta considers changes (Football.London).
Elsewhere, Gabriel discussed last season's Champions League final penalty shootout heartbreak against PSG, declaring "If there's another penalty I will take it!" (Sky Sports). Arsenal.com also shared training ground snaps from the build-up to the Lille tie (Arsenal.com), and BBC Sport had a lighter moment to report as Arteta himself stepped in to help Myles Lewis-Skelly with a piggyback partner during a training drill (BBC Sport).
This round-up is written with the help of AI, using only the day's headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.