Arteta defends Arsenal training after Hincapié and Zubimendi injuries

Arsenal have been dealt an injury blow to Piero Hincapié and Martín Zubimendi, with both players picking up knocks not during a match but in a post-match training session, and Mikel Arteta has moved to defend his club's methods as a result.

ESPN reports that Arteta confirmed the pair suffered injuries that were "far from ideal", with the knocks coming in a session held after the weekend's fixture, and the manager stood by Arsenal's training programme despite the setback (ESPN).

The Evening Standard adds detail on the context, explaining that the issues arose during a warm-down session following Arsenal's 2-1 win over Leeds, involving players who had not featured, or featured only briefly, in that match (Evening Standard).

The Guardian specifies the nature of the injuries, reporting that both Hincapié and Zubimendi sustained ankle injuries, and describes Arteta as having "admitted frustration" over the timing and circumstances of the knocks (The Guardian).

On the positive side, The Guardian also brings news of a boost for Arsenal, with William Saliba said to have resumed training on his own following a back injury, offering some encouragement amid the otherwise downbeat update (The Guardian).

Across the reports, there is clear agreement that the injuries to Hincapié and Zubimendi occurred away from match action, in a training or warm-down session after the Leeds victory, and that Arteta has publicly backed his staff and methods rather than accept criticism over how the issues arose (ESPN) (Evening Standard) (The Guardian).

Written with the help of AI, using the headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.