That is the sort of post-match news Arsenal did not need, and certainly not this quickly. The win over Leeds should have been the story, but instead the warm-down afterward produced a double blow: Piero Hincapié and Martín Zubimendi both picked up ankle injuries, and suddenly Mikel Arteta is staring at another selection headache before Tuesday’s Champions League game at home to Lille.
Arteta made it clear the injuries happened in two “very unfortunate actions” after the game, and he did not try to dress it up as anything less than a problem. The manager said both players were expected to feature against Lille before they went down, which makes the timing even more frustrating. In a season where rhythm matters, Arsenal have just lost two players at the exact moment they looked ready to build some momentum.
The obvious question is whether either player will make it for Lille. At this stage, the answer is no one really knows. Both are due scans on Monday, with Arteta saying Arsenal will probably learn more after that. His language was cautious, and for good reason: he said Hincapié’s injury “looks a little bit more serious” and added that Arsenal are still talking about “weeks,” not days. That is hardly the sound of a manager expecting a quick fix.
Another reminder that nothing comes easy
There is a broader irritation here as well. Hincapié and Zubimendi had not started in the Premier League this season, so this was supposed to be a controlled introduction rather than another crisis point. Instead, Arsenal now have to reshuffle just as the Champions League arrives again, and that is never ideal for a side trying to settle its rotation.
There is at least one injury situation Arsenal are already managing elsewhere. William Saliba had sustained a back injury at the World Cup and had been training on his own while recovering, which means the squad was already dealing with defensive uncertainty before this latest setback. When Arteta talks about availability in this tone, it usually means careful planning, not optimism.
The manager’s frustration was obvious without him needing to say it outright. He had planned a training session after the Leeds game for the players, but even that became part of the problem once the injuries happened. Arsenal got the points on Saturday, but the cost may be felt on Tuesday and beyond. For a team trying to keep standards high, losing two players in the aftermath of a win is the kind of detail that can quickly become a bigger story than the result itself.
So the headline is simple enough: Arsenal won, but they paid for it. And in a week that was supposed to be about maintaining control, they are suddenly back in the business of waiting on scans, hoping for good news, and doing it all with Lille next on the schedule.
