Ankle injuries for Hincapié and Zubimendi in post-match warm-down after Leeds win

Arsenal head into their Champions League meeting with Lille with two unexpected absences. Piero Hincapié and Martín Zubimendi picked up ankle injuries during the warm-down that followed the win over Leeds, and Mikel Arteta confirmed neither will be available for Tuesday's European fixture at the Emirates. The setback complicates the picture for a squad trying to stay competitive on two fronts at once.

• Hincapié and Zubimendi sustained ankle injuries in the post-match warm-down after the Leeds victory.
• Mikel Arteta admitted his frustration and ruled both players out of the Champions League match against Lille.
• The manager believes Hincapié's injury looks more serious than Zubimendi's.
• William Saliba resumed individual training as he recovers from a back injury sustained at the World Cup.
• Gabriel Magalhães insisted he will not hesitate to take another penalty in a shootout despite his miss in the Champions League final against PSG.

The post-match warm-down that left Arsenal without two players

Arteta explained that both players needed minutes after not starting in the Premier League this season, so the coaching staff had scheduled a training session after the win over Leeds. In two unfortunate moments, the team lost two players who were expected to play a role against Lille.

The Spanish manager described the situation as "far from ideal" and admitted to feeling frustrated. However, he rejected the idea of changing the post-match routine, arguing that substitutes need to stay in rhythm to make an impact when called upon.

We had a training session planned after the game for the players. They didn't have enough minutes to get everybody in the right rhythm and in two very unfortunate actions, we lost two players.

What Arsenal have at stake in the Champions League night against Lille

Hincapié and Zubimendi were in the manager's plans for the visit of the French side, a key date for the London club's European ambitions. Their absence forces a reshuffle of the starting eleven in a demanding week, where every point matters for progress in Europe's top club competition.

William Saliba returns to individual training after back injury

The better news for Arteta came with William Saliba's gradual reintegration. The French centre-back has started training on his own as he recovers from the back problem he picked up at the World Cup. The coach declined to set a return date and said he will not rush the recovery: "We're still talking about weeks."

Arteta's reaction to Hincapié's exit and Gabriel Magalhães' message

Arteta looked visibly unhappy with how Illan Meslier and his staff handled Hincapié's departure from the pitch. The back-up goalkeeper gave the defender a piggyback instead of waiting for a stretcher. The Arsenal manager declined to go into detail: "That's something else not to discuss here."

At the press conference, Gabriel Magalhães made it clear he has not lost his nerve despite missing the decisive penalty in the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain. The Brazilian insisted he will put himself forward again if another shootout comes around: "I was sad, and I didn't want to miss a penalty, but I have learned from this and if I have another opportunity, I will be ready to take it."

The centre-back pairing against Lille and Arteta's options

With Saliba still out, Ezri Konsa is expected to partner Gabriel Magalhães in the heart of the defence once again for the clash with the French side. The Brazilian defender will face a club he knows well in a tie that will test the depth of the Gunners' squad just as injuries begin to shape the planning.