Martín Zubimendi could be back within days after an ankle knock in training, with Mikel Arteta saying he expects the midfielder to miss only a short spell. The issue came after Arsenal's 2-1 Premier League win over Leeds at the Emirates Stadium, when Zubimendi and Piero Hincapie were injured in a post-game training session. Arteta said Zubimendi was "much, much better" after the Lille win.
Merino's account of the injury
Mikel Merino gave the injury a much calmer explanation. He said, "He [Zubimendi] is fine, he had his ankle a little bit hurt due to an action with me and if there is anyone that doesn't want to hurt him, it's me." He added that "It was a freak accident in training but he's fine, he is a bull and recovers quickly."
That lines up with Arteta's later update, but the manager still stopped short of saying Zubimendi is certain to face Nottingham Forest. "Zubi, I expect, yeah [only days]," he said, before adding, "We have to see the moment he goes on that pitch, how he deals with the pain and some small feelings that he will have."
Arsenal's wider injury picture
Zubimendi's numbers make the short-term outlook look manageable. He has made 5 Premier League appearances for Arsenal this season and played only 98 minutes, so a brief absence would be less disruptive than a longer one.
Hincapie is the bigger immediate absence. He has made 3 Premier League appearances and already logged 90 Champions League minutes this season, and he will not feature against Nottingham Forest or Bayern Munich. Arsenal also had neither player available for their 3-0 Champions League win over Lille on Tuesday night, so Sunday's trip to Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal remains the first obvious checkpoint for Zubimendi.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →
