Piero Hincapié and Martin Zubimendi were both hurt during a recovery session at the Emirates after Saturday’s 2-1 Premier League win. Neither had played much in it, with Hincapié coming on late and Zubimendi an unused substitute.
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Hincapié was carried off with an ankle problem, while Zubimendi also picked up an injury. Mikel Arteta confirmed on Monday that neither will face the French side.
The manager explained that the session had been arranged for players who hadn’t had enough minutes, to get them up to speed. “In two very unfortunate actions, we lost two players, and yeah, not great,” he said. “We need to assess them. Today they have further scans to see where they are, and they will have a timeframe for how long they’ll be out.”
He joked that there was nothing he could have done differently. “If I knew I had a crystal ball, I’d say, ‘Guys, go in the jacuzzi, everybody, and see you tomorrow,’” he said.
Arteta suggested Hincapié’s problem could be the more serious of the two. “Piero’s one looks a little bit more serious, I think, but we have to wait and see,” he said.
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The setback comes as Arsenal look to build on a winning start in Europe. Last season’s Champions League finalists, who lost the final to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties, opened this campaign with a 1-0 win over Napoli. In the league, they are second, three points behind leaders Manchester City.
Tuesday’s game at the Emirates kicks off at 21:00 SAST.
– AFP
Photo: James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
