Piero Hincapie set to miss Forest trip as Arsenal await Zubimendi decision

Piero Hincapie is expected to miss Arsenal’s trip to Nottingham Forest on Sunday, with Mikel Arteta estimating the defender needs another week or two to recover from an ankle injury. Martin Zubimendi has a chance of returning for the same fixture, but Arsenal will make that call after their final training session.

Both players picked up ankle injuries in training on the Emirates Stadium pitch after Arsenal’s win over Leeds United last week. They then missed the midweek victory over Lille, but their recoveries are now on different timelines.

“Piero is evolving really well,” Arteta said at his pre-match press conference. “Knowing his character and the way he pushes everybody, I'm sure it's not going to take long, but he will probably need another week or two.”

Zubimendi’s progress has been quicker. “Zubi looks much better, he already looked much better today,” Arteta said. “We have another session tomorrow, and after that we will assess whether he's available to play against Forest.”

That leaves Arteta with one possible return for the City Ground and one likely absence. Arsenal sit second with 15 points from six games, having won five and lost one. Ben White and Jurriën Timber are also out with knee and groin injuries respectively, adding to the selection constraints. Hincapie’s expected absence therefore extends the pressure on Arsenal’s options, while Zubimendi’s final assessment is the immediate decision before Sunday’s 16:30 BST kick-off.

Christos Tzolis is also recovering from a hamstring injury suffered on international duty with Greece. He had another MRI scan the day before Arteta’s press conference, and the manager said he hopes the winger will be back in a few weeks rather than months. “It's progressing really well,” Arteta said.

William Saliba remains sidelined with the back injury that has kept him out since the end of France’s World Cup campaign. He is rehabilitating away from the squad, and Arteta said another MRI is planned for next week to assess his healing. “Every sign so far has been very, very positive,” the manager said.

For the Forest match, the key decision is whether Zubimendi is ready to return. Hincapie’s recovery is progressing, but Arteta expects to wait longer for him; Saliba’s next scan will provide a separate checkpoint in Arsenal’s defensive recovery.