Arsenal were handed a fresh injury blow ahead of their 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest over the weekend. Backup goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga was a surprise omission from the substitutes’ bench at the City Ground, with third-choice Ilan Meslier named ahead of the Spaniard.
However, there was more positive news with Mikel Arteta’s squad, as Kepa’s compatriot Mikel Zubimendi returned from an ankle injury suffered in the warm-down of the 2-1 victory against Leeds. There were no other injury concerns from the win on the banks of the River Trent, as Arsenal moved second in the table thanks to Noni Madueke’s late strike.
Hincapie and Tzolis sidelined
Piero Hincapie was carried off the pitch during a post-match warm-down following the defeat of Leeds. It was confirmed last week that he had sustained an ankle injury, and he did not feature against either Lille or Forest. The defender had scans which produced concerning results, and Arteta gave an update on the former Bayer Leverkusen man following the win over Lille.
“Piero is improving but it looks more significant,” he said. “I think it will be a matter of weeks but we don't know exactly how many.” His potential return date is November 1 against Liverpool away.
Christos Tzolis went down in Greece’s penultimate Nations League fixture, a 2-2 draw at home against the Netherlands. He had suffered a hamstring injury after just 18 minutes, with Arteta confirming that the former Norwich forward would be sidelined for a number of weeks.
“Tzolis has a muscle injury, and he's going to be out for a few weeks,” he said. “He's not available yet.” His potential return date is October 24 against Everton at home.
Saliba and Kepa updates
France international William Saliba has not played for his club this season after a back injury flared up during the World Cup. The defender had been playing through the pain to see Arsenal through to the Premier League title and the Champions League final, but the issue eventually caught up with him. He has not needed surgery, but he has been out for a fair while and is still not expected to return to action for a while longer.
The centre-back has been spotted running at London Colney, and a comeback could soon be on the horizon. His potential return date is December.
Goalkeeping No2 Kepa was left out of the squad that travelled to Forest. The former Chelsea shot-stopper picked up an injury in training which led to his staying at home, while Meslier covered his place on the bench. It remains to be seen what the severity of the knock is, and how long he will be out for. His potential return date is October 24 against Everton at home.
