Arsenal received a double boost on Tuesday as Piero Hincapie and Kepa Arrizabalaga returned to training before Wednesday's Champions League trip to Bayern Munich — but William Saliba and Christos Tzolis were both missing and look set to sit out the game in Germany.
Mikel Arteta put his players through their paces at the Sobha Realty Training Centre on Tuesday, and the sight of Hincapie back on the grass was the headline news from the session, as football.london reported. The Ecuador defender has been out since suffering an ankle injury in a warm-down session after the win over Leeds United earlier this month.
Hincapie steps up his recovery
Hincapie trained individually, away from the main group, which means a place in the squad in Munich remains unlikely. Roundtable also noted that he is not expected to be involved in Germany, but a return to the grass points to a comeback in the coming weeks rather than months.
The defender missed the Champions League win over Lille and Sunday's Premier League match at Nottingham Forest. Myles Lewis-Skelly and Riccardo Calafiori have shared the left-back duties in his absence, and one of them will likely start again at the Allianz Arena.
Arteta said last week that Hincapie was improving but that his return would be a matter of weeks. Tuesday's session suggests that timeline is holding.
Kepa back, but Saliba and Tzolis miss out
Kepa also returned to action after a knock that kept him out of the squad against Oliver Glasner's Crystal Palace side, when Illan Meslier deputised on the bench. The Spaniard's return restores Arsenal's goalkeeping cover behind the first choice.
The bad news came elsewhere. Neither Saliba nor Tzolis was spotted at training. Saliba, Arsenal's defensive leader, is still rebuilding his fitness from a back issue and has been training individually for around a week. Tzolis suffered a hamstring injury on international duty with Greece against the Netherlands.
Arteta is expected to update all four players when he faces the media in Germany on Tuesday night, but on Tuesday's evidence Arsenal will travel without two important players.
So what: a patched-up defence in Munich
Arsenal go to Munich chasing a third straight league-phase win, and a record of 14 successive league-phase victories that spans three seasons. They will have to protect it with a patched-up defence.
Bayern have problems of their own — Vincent Kompany was a doubt for the game after a viral infection swept through parts of his squad — but Harry Kane and Michael Olise will still test a back line missing its best centre-back. Gabriel Magalhaes and Ezri Konsa have kept four Premier League clean sheets this season, yet Munich away is a different examination.
The fixture list offers little mercy either: Everton visit the Emirates on Saturday, followed by Fleetwood in the Carabao Cup and a trip to Liverpool. Getting Hincapie and Saliba back for that run may matter as much as Wednesday's result.
Beyond the Final Whistle verdict: Tuesday's session told Arsenal fans exactly where this squad stands — the cavalry is coming, but it will not arrive in time for Munich. Arteta is right to protect Saliba's back and Hincapie's ankle rather than gamble them on one group game, yet a patched-up defence at the Allianz Arena is a risk he would never have chosen. Can Arsenal keep their perfect European record without Saliba? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
