Arsenal suffered injuries to two players during a warm-down session following the win against Leeds United.
The Gunners, for the most part, have been able to keep their key players fit, but there have been some problems that were out of their control.
The warm-down session in their own stadium after a game was routine. They had done it plenty of times over the years, but not once was a player injured.
Yet, on the same day, both Martin Zubimendi and Piero Hincapie suffered ankle injuries, and both players missed the win over Lille in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
Mikel Merino has now shed some light on what happened to one of them.
Mikel Merino says he was involved in the action that injured Martin Zubimendi
Martin Zubimendi has dropped down the pecking order at Arsenal.
The Spaniard was already behind Myles Lewis-Skelly and Declan Rice at the end of last season, and Bruno Guimaraes has pushed him further down this term.
Despite that, Arsenal need Zubimendi. He would’ve likely started in midfield against Lille, but his injury ruled him out of that game.
Fellow Spaniard Merino started that game in the middle of the park, and even though he wasn’t at his best, he was a part of the winning side in the end.
After the game, Merino was asked about Zubimendi’s injury, and the former admitted that he was involved in the action that hurt his compatriot. However, it was completely accidental, minor, and he should be back in action very soon.
He told Cadena Ser: “Oh, he’s fine. His ankle was a bit sore, actually because of something that happened involving me, and if there’s anyone who wouldn’t want to hurt Zubi, it’s me.
“But he’s alright; he’s as strong as an ox and will be back in no time.”
There is a chance that Zubimendi could be back available as early as Sunday, when Arsenal take on Nottingham Forest in the City Ground.
Piero Hincapie, on the other hand, is expected to be sidelined for a few weeks due to his ankle issue.
“Piero is improving, but it looks more significant. I think it will be a matter of weeks, but we don’t know exactly how many,” Arteta said, as per Arsenal.com.