Arteta confirms Hincapié and Zubimendi will miss Lille match

“What can I do?” Mikel Arteta announced that two Arsenal players will be absent against Lille. Piero Hincapié and Martin Zubimendi missed training after sustaining injuries during an additional session arranged following the Gunners’ 2-1 win over Leeds last Saturday.

The match is scheduled for Tuesday evening at the Emirates Stadium, on the second matchday of the first round of the Champions League. Arteta said a post-match session had been planned for players who had not had enough playing time. “In two very unfortunate incidents, we lost two players,” he said.

Their condition is to be assessed, with further examinations planned before the length of their absences can be established. “This is absolutely not ideal. It has never happened in seven years,” Arteta said.

Asked whether anything could have been done to prevent the injuries, he replied ironically: “It’s very simple: don’t train.” He immediately pointed to the downside: without training, players would lack rhythm and would have no impact when called upon to play. “What can I do? If I had a crystal ball,” he added, joking about sending his players to the jacuzzi.

Despite the absences, Arteta said he was pleased to be back in the Champions League and recalled Arsenal’s strong performances in the competition last year. “For us, this is another opportunity to attack the Champions League,” he concluded.