Arsenal's preparations for the return of Champions League football have been disrupted by a wave of injury setbacks, with several key players sidelined or in doubt as Mikel Arteta's side prepare to host Olivier Giroud's Lille at the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners had appeared to be building positive momentum following their victory over Leeds, but the international break brought a series of unwelcome developments that have left the squad stretched thin.
Piero Hincapie emerged as one of the most significant concerns after suffering an ankle injury during a warm-down session following the win over Leeds. The defender had to be carried off the pitch and has since been ruled out of the Lille fixture, with reports suggesting he could be sidelined for up to three weeks. His potential return date has been pegged at November 4 against Slavia Prague.
In a cruel coincidence, Martin Zubimendi was also injured during the same post-match training session, sustaining an ankle problem of his own. However, Arteta indicated that the Spanish midfielder's injury appears less severe than Hincapie's, raising hopes he could feature again as soon as this weekend.
"We had a training session planned for after the game for players that did not have enough minutes, to get everybody in the right rhythm," Arteta explained. "In two very unfortunate actions we lost two players. Not great."
The Arsenal boss added that further scans would provide clarity on both injuries. "Today they're going to have a further scan and probably tomorrow we'll know more and then we'll see how they're going to go. Piero's one looks a little bit more serious, I think, but we'll have to wait and see." Zubimendi's potential return date is set for October 18 against Nottingham Forest.
Adding to Arsenal's woes, winger Christos Tzolis picked up a hamstring injury while on international duty with Greece during their 2-2 draw against the Netherlands in the Nations League. Arteta confirmed the issue, stating, "Tzolis has a muscle injury, and he's going to be out for a few weeks. He's not available yet." Should the recovery timeline hold, Tzolis could be back in contention for the visit of Everton on October 24, ahead of fixtures against Fleetwood in the Carabao Cup and a trip to face Liverpool at Anfield.
There was, however, a rare piece of positive news on the injury front. Cristhian Mosquera, who had been absent since picking up a hamstring issue during the win over Aston Villa on August 31, has now returned to fitness. His availability could prove useful against Lille, particularly given UEFA's Champions League rules permitting up to 12 substitutes per match.
Meanwhile, William Saliba's prolonged absence continues, with the defender yet to feature for Arsenal this season due to a long-term back problem that worsened during his involvement with France at this summer's World Cup finals. Although surgery was avoided, he has faced a lengthy recovery period. While no fresh official update has been issued by the club, recent reports from France suggest Saliba has resumed running following a positive scan, with a return targeted for November or December.
With so many players affected, Arteta faces a challenging period of squad management as Arsenal navigate a demanding fixture list across both domestic and European competitions.
Based on reporting from standard-football.