Mikel Arteta Jokes About 'Very Easy' Way to Stop Arsenal Injuries
· Yahoo Sports
Mikel Arteta has joked that the only guaranteed way to stop injuries at Arsenal is to stop training altogether, after Piero Hincapié and Martin Zubimendi were both hurt during a post-match warm-down.
The pair picked up their injuries on the pitch at The Emirates following Saturday’s 2-1 comeback victory over Leeds United. Hincapié, who had come off the bench in the final ten minutes, was carried off by Kepa Arrizabalaga after suffering an ankle problem, whilst Zubimendi sustained a knock having been an unused substitute.
Visit extonnews.click for more information.
The Arsenal boss confirmed both players will miss Tuesday’s Champions League clash with Lille, a game they were previously tipped to start.
Reflecting on the incidents, Arteta joked on how to limit injuries in the camp, ‘Very easy, you don’t train. Never train, and they don’t get injured. The consequence of that is when they have to play, they have no rhythm, and when you ask them to play, they’re going to have no impact in the game.’
The Spaniard admitted that nothing similar had happened during his time in charge, but insisted that freak injuries are part of the game.
‘That could happen at the Emirates. It never happened in the seven years that I’ve been here. It could happen the next day in the training session, and that has happened before, and hopefully, it’s happened now and doesn’t happen again. But what can you do? If I knew I had a crystal ball, I’d say, “Guys, go in the jacuzzi, everybody, and see you tomorrow.”’
Arteta also defended the decision to hold the session on the pitch, revealing that the players were taking part in small-sided games designed to give those who had not played enough minutes the required training load.
‘When you play these kind of small-sided games, there is contact, and these things happen. They didn’t happen once last season and we did it 37 times I think, so the fact that it’s there, that people are watching and then they think it raises other doubts.’
The Arsenal boss insisted that he would not change his approach, despite the setbacks.
‘[The] question was if we had to do this again, the way we planned the seven days that we had in that period with the players that didn’t have enough load, would it have been the case? The answer is yes, and it’s a contact sport and this can happen.’
He added that the only change would be asking his players to ease off in future, saying he would tell them, ‘Guys, they are so competitive, when we do that, please don’t touch each other too much.’
The timing is unfortunate for Arteta, with the schedule set to increase in the coming months. Hincapié had only just returned from a muscular injury that ruled him out of international duty, and has been hampered by groin and muscular issues since joining from Bayer Leverkusen in August 2025.
Zubimendi, meanwhile, has started just one game this season, the Carabao Cup third-round win at Ipswich Town, where he recorded an assist.
The pair join William Saliba and Christos Tzolis on the sidelines. Saliba has returned to grass as he continues his rehabilitation from back surgery, whilst Tzolis is expected to be out for ‘a few weeks’ with a hamstring injury sustained on international duty.
There is some relief elsewhere in the squad, as Jurriën Timber and Ezri Konsa both featured against Leeds after injury problems of their own in recent weeks.
Arteta will be hoping to maintain a fit squad, as Arsenal aim to fight on all four fronts again this campaign.