Arteta rues 'far from ideal' double blow as Hincapie and Zubimendi injured in Arsenal warm-down

Arsenal have been dealt a double injury blow, with Piero Hincapie and Martin Zubimendi both hurt in a post-match training session held after the Gunners' 2-1 Premier League win over Leeds United at Emirates Stadium.

Manager Mikel Arteta described the situation as "far from ideal" ahead of Tuesday's Champions League match against Lille, confirming both players will undergo further scans to establish how long they will be sidelined.

A training session was held after Saturday's match for players who either did not feature or did not play the full 90 minutes against Leeds. Ecuador defender Hincapie, 24, who had come on in the 82nd minute as Arsenal saw out victory, was carried off the pitch on goalkeeper Illan Meslier's back during the session, and Arteta later confirmed that Spain midfielder Zubimendi, 27, an unused substitute at the weekend, had also been hurt.

"We had a training session planned after the match for everyone that didn't get enough minutes, and in two unfortunate actions we lost two players," Arteta said in a news conference before Tuesday's Champions League meeting with Lille. "They'll have further scans to see where they are and we'll have that time frame for how long they are going to be out for."

'Never train and they don't get injured'

When asked by the media what could have been done to prevent the injuries, Arteta joked that the pair should simply not have trained.

"Never train and they don't get injured. The consequence of that is when you ask them to play they have no rhythm and no impact in the game," the Spaniard added. "It's never happened in seven years I've been here. It could happen in the training session the next day. It's happened now and hopefully it doesn't happen again, but what can you do?

"If I had a crystal ball I would just say 'guys, get in the jacuzzi and I will see you tomorrow'."

How the injuries happened

Arsenal had planned for the players who did not complete a full game — or had not had minutes at all in the 2-1 win — to train at the Emirates Stadium, allowing the entire squad a recovery day on Sunday before training together on Monday. Arteta regularly arranges for those who have not played a full match to take part in a small-sided game on the pitch, a routine he uses so that every player has a similar output while the squad navigates a congested fixture schedule.

The Gunners boss said the approach is done to get "everybody in the best rhythm", but on this occasion it cost him two members of his squad. Arteta indicated that Hincapie's ankle injury is more serious than Zubimendi's problem, though both will await scan results before a time frame for their absences can be set.

Unusual scenes as Meslier carries Hincapie off

Hincapie's departure from the session raised eyebrows, as substitute goalkeeper Meslier was seen carrying the Ecuador international off the pitch on his back, despite staff members being present. It is something Arteta did not appear happy about, saying only: "That's something else, not to discuss here."

The scare was first reported on 10 October, when Hincapie was carried off during the warm-down after the final whistle clutching his right ankle, with earlier reporting also noting that the defender has already struggled with muscular issues this season — adding to Arsenal's concern over his fitness.

Hincapie has made three Premier League appearances off the bench this season but started Arsenal's Champions League win over Napoli last month. Zubimendi has also largely featured as a substitute, making five Premier League appearances from the bench in the 2026-27 campaign.

Both players will now wait on the results of their scans, with Arteta set to provide a clearer picture of their availability for the busy run of fixtures once the extent of the injuries is known.

Sources

• BBC Sport — Arsenal: Piero Hincapie and Martin Zubimendi injuries 'far from ideal' says Mikel Arteta
• BBC Sport — Piero Hincapie injury scare as Arsenal defender is carried off during warm-down after Leeds win (10 October)

Published 12 October 2026.