Arsenal duo Martin Zubimendi and Ben White have presented Mikel Arteta with fresh fitness worries ahead of Saturday’s Premier League trip to Fulham. The latter was nowhere to be seen during the open training session at London Colney, whilst Zubimendi observed proceedings from the touchline alongside Gunners sporting director Andrea Berta.
However, Arteta received encouraging news regarding Piero Hincapie’s involvement, with the deadline-day signing participating after managing only limited minutes since his Bayer Leverkusen switch due to a groin complaint that sidelined him for five matches. The Gunners have been hit hard by injury woes throughout this campaign, with William Saliba, Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard among those forced to sit out fixtures.
Captain Odegaard is now sidelined with a knee setback that is anticipated to rule him out until November. Arsenal’s skipper had previously been withdrawn during two different matches due to a shoulder issue before sustaining an MCL problem ahead of the October international break.
Noni Madueke and Kai Havertz are also eyeing comebacks next month, though Arteta’s assessment of the German suggests he might return sooner than expected. “With Kai, we know that it will be months with him. I don’t know if it can be weeks; you never know… We really miss him,” he confessed in September.
“Hopefully, he will be back, and back for the long term as well, so it is very important to look after that knee. So far, he’s progressing pretty well.”
Saka and Saliba, having both played extensively for their respective countries over the past fortnight, are nearing full fitness and are thus anticipated to start against Fulham.
Jurrien Timber’s standout performances at right-back have kept White sidelined, but Zubimendi’s potential absence at Craven Cottage could pose a significant problem.
The summer recruit was a substitute in the victory over West Ham United earlier this month but was compelled to enter the fray sooner than planned due to an issue with Odegaard.
He clocked up 144 minutes of play for Spain during the domestic break, with Mikel Merino also taking part in both matches and maintaining his scoring streak on the international stage by bagging a double.
If Zubimendi is unfit to play, he could be replaced in the squad by Rice in a more defensive role, or Christian Norgaard could step in directly, allowing Rice to stay further upfield.
Arteta is expected to provide an update on the pair’s situation in his pre-match press conference on Friday, ahead of the Saturday evening showdown with Fulham.
