Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta expressed concern over the injuries sustained by Piero Hincapie and Martin Zubimendi during a post-match training session following the team's 2-1 Premier League victory against Leeds. The training was intended for players who did not play the full match or were not involved at all.
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Hincapie, 24, was carried off by goalkeeper Illan Meslier during the session, while Arteta later confirmed that Zubimendi, 27, also suffered an injury. Hincapie had come on as a substitute in the 82nd minute against Leeds, while Zubimendi did not play in the match.
In a news conference ahead of Tuesday's Champions League match against Lille, Arteta stated, "We had a training session planned after the match for everyone that didn't get enough minutes, and in two unfortunate actions we lost two players. They'll have further scans to see where they are and we'll have that time frame for how long they are going to be out for."
When asked about potential preventative measures for the injuries, Arteta joked that the players should avoid training altogether to prevent injuries. "Never train and they don't get injured," he quipped. He acknowledged that injuries can occur even in training sessions and noted, "It's never happened in seven years I've been here. It could happen in the training session the next day. It’s happened now and hopefully it doesn't happen again."
Hincapie has appeared three times off the bench in the Premier League this season and started in Arsenal's Champions League match against Napoli last month. Zubimendi has primarily been a substitute, with five Premier League appearances from the bench.