Arsenal Lunchtime Round-Up, Tuesday 13th October 2026: Injury Concerns Ahead of Lille Clash as Dowman Earns Messi Praise

Arsenal host Lille in the Champions League this evening, with Arsenal.com previewing the Emirates Stadium clash (Arsenal.com). Football.London reports that Lille themselves have been hit by an injury blow of their own, with Davide Ancelotti's side set to be without three key players as they travel to north London hoping to cause an upset (Football.London).

The Gunners have their own fitness worries though, as Football.London report that Piero Hincapie, Martin Zubimendi, William Saliba and Christos Tzolis are all expected to miss out against Lille following recent scans (Football.London).

Elsewhere, Mikel Arteta has been reacting to the news that Lionel Messi named young Arsenal talent Max Dowman among his top 10 future stars. According to BBC Sport, Arteta said that "Messi's eyes are better than anyone else's" when discussing the praise, suggesting it is a sign Dowman is nearing regular first-team involvement (BBC Sport). Sky Sports also carried Arteta's response, with the Arsenal boss saying "Hopefully he is right!" about Messi's prediction for the teenager (Sky Sports).

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.