Merino Admits He Injured Zubimendi in Freak Arsenal Accident

Mikel Merino has admitted he was the player involved in the freak cool-down accident that injured Martín Zubimendi — but the news for Arsenal is split: Zubimendi is in contention to face Nottingham Forest on Sunday, while Piero Hincapié faces weeks out.

Zubimendi missed Tuesday's Lille win after hurting his ankle in a post-match session following Saturday's 2-1 victory over Leeds United. Hincapié was hurt in a separate incident in the same session, a bizarre double blow Mikel Arteta had already described as something that had never happened in his seven years at the club, as we reported in our earlier Arsenal injury update.

What Merino said

Speaking to Spanish radio after the Lille game, Merino explained that Zubimendi's sore ankle came from an action involving him, stressing that nobody would want to hurt Zubimendi less than he would. As football.london reported, he called it a freak accident and backed his compatriot to recover quickly, describing him as a bull. The account was carried in the same terms by Yardbarker, reporting Arsenal Insider's coverage of the interview.

There was clearly no blame attached. Merino started in midfield against Lille while Zubimendi watched on, and his message was reassurance rather than drama: the injury is minor, his team-mate is strong, and the return should be soon. For a story that could easily have become a dressing-room controversy, that candour closes it down.

The good news and the bad news

Arteta's update gives Arsenal one player back and keeps another out. Zubimendi is described as much, much better and is in contention for Sunday's trip to the City Ground, although the manager cautioned that Arsenal still need to see how he reacts on the pitch and how he handles any remaining pain. Hincapié, by contrast, is improving but his problem looks more significant, and Arteta expects it to be a matter of weeks rather than days, without yet knowing exactly how many.

The contrast matters because the two injuries looked similar on Saturday night. Hincapié, who had come on as a substitute against Leeds, could not put weight on his ankle and was carried from the pitch. Zubimendi, who had not played in the match, took his knock in the same planned session for players who needed minutes and rhythm. Same session, same joint, very different timelines.

So what it means for Forest and Bayern

Zubimendi's likely return restores a rotation option at exactly the moment Arsenal need one. After Forest on Sunday comes a heavyweight Champions League trip to Bayern Munich, and Arteta cannot keep asking the same midfielders to go again every three days. Even a place on the bench this weekend changes what he can do in Germany.

Hincapié's absence is the longer problem. He is the natural cover at left-back, so Riccardo Calafiori's workload now has to be managed with no like-for-like deputy, and Myles Lewis-Skelly's minutes, as against Lille, will keep rising. With nine games squeezed into this block, a matter of weeks for Hincapié could mean several matches without that cover — which is how one freak cool-down session keeps shaping team selections long after the Leeds win itself is forgotten.

Beyond the Final Whistle: Merino owning this publicly is exactly what a title-winning dressing room looks like — no hiding, no blame game, just honesty and a team-mate backed to return. But the verdict on Arsenal's week is still mixed: Zubimendi's comeback is a boost, Hincapié's weeks out are the real cost of that freak session, and Arteta's squad depth, not his first XI, will decide whether this title defence survives the autumn pile-up. Should Zubimendi start at Forest, or be saved for Bayern — tell us in the comments?