Bad news for Arsenal just hours before Lille's home game in the Champions League. Manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Piero Incapie and Martin Subimendi have suffered ankle injuries during a recovery session after the match with Leeds. The two are certain to be ruled out for tomorrow's match, and further tests will show how long they will be out.
The Spaniard did not hide his disappointment, as the injuries came in a training session intended for players with fewer playing minutes against Leeds. According to him, the Ecuadorian's condition is more worrying.
"We had planned a session after the match for the players who had not played enough, but in two very unfortunate situations we lost two. It is not good at all. We need to examine them today and do further tests to see what their condition is. Only then will we be able to determine how long they will be out. Piero's case seems a little more serious," Arteta said.
However, the Gunners' coach also gave encouraging news about William Saliba. The French defender has not played this season yet due to a back problem, but has been training individually for more than a week and is gradually increasing the load.
"We are managing the load, as well as the number of repetitions and consecutive training sessions that he can withstand. He is increasing his physical capacity to a good level. Let's see in the coming weeks whether we can include him in the work with the team," Arteta explained, without committing to an exact date for his return.
Despite the personnel problems, Arsenal enter the tournament with great ambitions. Last season, the Londoners reached the final but failed to lift the trophy.
"I think we are really happy to be back in the Champions League. We want to keep the momentum going because we did really well last year. This is another opportunity to attack the tournament," Arteta stressed.
An additional boost to the match at the "Emirates" will be the return of Olivier Giroud. The Frenchman, who now plays for Lille, spent six seasons at Arsenal. Arteta, who was his teammate, described him as "a remarkable personality and a wonderful person" and recalled his influence since arriving from Montpellier.