Arsenal breaking news now: Piero Hincapié and Martín Zubimendi both hurt their ankles in a post-match session after the 2-1 win over Leeds, and both miss tonight’s Champions League game against Lille. Mikel Arteta confirmed the double blow on Monday, and Hincapié’s injury looks the more serious. Below, we give you the verified facts, the full injury list, the exact Arteta quotes and the other Arsenal stories that matter today, updated on 13 October 2026.
TL;DR: Arsenal News Today in 30 Seconds
- Injuries: Hincapié (ankle) and Zubimendi (ankle) miss Lille after a warm-down session at the Emirates.
- Still out: Christos Tzolis (hamstring) and William Saliba (back).
- Tonight: Arsenal v Lille, Champions League, Emirates Stadium, 8:00 PM BST (8:00 PM WAT).
- League: Arsenal sit second in the Premier League on 15 points, three behind Manchester City.
- Off the pitch: Arteta has signed a new deal to June 2030, and Max Dowman holds three Guinness World Records.
- Next up: Nottingham Forest v Arsenal, Sunday 18 October, 4:30 PM BST (4:30 PM WAT).
Arsenal Breaking News Now – Double Injury Blow Ahead of Lille
Updated: 13 October 2026, 2:30 PM WAT
Breaking: Arsenal suffer double injury blow – Hincapié and Zubimendi out for Lille
Arsenal have suffered a rare double injury setback. Piero Hincapié and Martín Zubimendi both picked up ankle injuries in a post-match training session after Saturday’s 2-1 Premier League win over Leeds United. Arteta runs these short on-pitch sessions for players who got few or no minutes, so the whole squad can take Sunday off.
Key Points
- Both players miss tonight’s Champions League home game against Lille, Arsenal confirmed.
- Arteta said Hincapié’s injury “looks a little bit more serious”. The Mirror reports he could miss up to three weeks.
- The Mirror also reports that Zubimendi has an outside chance of facing Nottingham Forest on Sunday. The club has not given a timeframe yet.
- Arteta said this has “never happened” in his seven years at the club.
- William Saliba has trained on the grass for just over a week, and Arsenal are carefully managing his load.
Injury Status
| Player | Injury | Status for Lille | Expected Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| Piero Hincapié | Ankle | Out | Up to 3 weeks (Mirror report) |
| Martín Zubimendi | Ankle | Out | Short-term, TBC (Mirror: possibly Forest, 18 Oct) |
| Christos Tzolis | Hamstring | Out | “A few weeks” (Arteta) |
| William Saliba | Back | Out (back in light training) | “Next few weeks” (Arteta) |
What Did Arteta Say?
“In two very unfortunate actions, we lost two players, and yeah, not great… It never happened in seven years that I’ve been here.”
Mikel Arteta, pre-Lille press conference, 12 October 2026
Arteta also defended the sessions. “Very easy; don’t train. Never train, and they don’t get injured,” he said. “The consequence to that is when they have to play, they have no rhythm.” He added: “If I knew I had a crystal ball, I’d say, guys, go in the jacuzzi, everybody, and see you tomorrow.” BBC Sport reports that Arsenal ran the same kind of session 37 times last season.
Next Match Context
Arsenal host Lille in the Champions League tonight, 13 October 2026, at 8:00 PM BST (8:00 PM WAT), without Hincapié, Zubimendi, Tzolis and Saliba. Arsenal beat Napoli 1-0 on matchday one, while Lille threw away two leads in a 3-2 defeat to Real Betis. Lille also miss Ethan Mbappé through suspension, plus Tiago Santos and Hamza Igamane through injury. Follow the group on our Champions League 2026-27 table.
Which Sources Give the Most Reliable Arsenal News?
For breaking Arsenal news, start with the outlets that quote Arteta directly or run their own press-room reporters. We checked every line in this article against them:
| Rank | Source | Strength for breaking news | Best element |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reuters | Clean, factual injury reports | Direct Arteta quotes |
| 2 | BBC Sport | Timely press-conference coverage | Injury timeline and squad news |
| 3 | The Athletic / Football.London | Detailed context and return dates | Scans and recovery estimates |
| 4 | The Guardian | Balanced summary | Match and injury overview |
Club channels sit above all of them for facts the club controls, such as contracts and confirmed absences. Treat single-outlet timelines as reports until Arsenal or Arteta confirm them. For example, only the Mirror has put a three-week figure on Hincapié so far, while The Guardian and Football.London both stress that scans still decide the timeframe.
How Do Arsenal Stand in the Premier League?
Arsenal sit second in the Premier League with 15 points from six games: five wins and one defeat, with a +5 goal difference. Manchester City lead on 18 points after winning all six of their games, including Sunday’s match at Anfield. Brighton are third on 13.
The champions came from behind against Leeds on Saturday. Bruno Guimarães came off the bench to score the winner, and the result ended Leeds’ unbeaten league start. Arteta said there were “many positives” in the comeback, but he wants his side “to be more clinical now to finish more actions”. On Eberechi Eze, who has mostly started on the bench this season, he said: “Like everybody else, I think they need to earn the right to play.”
What Else Is Happening at Arsenal Today?
Arteta Signs New Contract Until 2030
Arsenal announced on 7 October that Mikel Arteta has signed a new long-term contract that runs until June 2030. His coaching staff have renewed on matching terms, and the deal remains subject to the completion of regulatory processes. Arteta arrived as head coach in December 2019 and led Arsenal to the Premier League title in 2025-26, their first since 2004. The Premier League’s explainer has the full background.
Max Dowman Collects Three Guinness World Records
Max Dowman, who turns 17 in December, now holds three Guinness World Records. He became the youngest player ever to appear in the Champions League, at 15 years and 308 days, in the 3-0 win at Slavia Prague. He then became the youngest Premier League goalscorer, at 16 years and 73 days, against Everton, and the youngest Premier League champion. Guinness World Records also features him in its “Class of ’27” in the 2027 Football Edition.
Arsenal Transfer Rumours: Striker Search Continues
Fabrizio Romano still lists a striker as Arsenal’s next priority, with a right-back the second area to watch. He sees January as possible and summer 2027 as more likely. Football.London also reports contact over Christian Kofane. We keep the full rumour tracker in our Fabrizio Romano Arsenal transfer news guide, so this page stays focused on breaking team news.
What Is Next for Arsenal After Lille?
Arsenal travel to Nottingham Forest on Sunday 18 October (4:30 PM BST, 4:30 PM WAT). Forest sit 15th on five points. After that comes a hard run: Bayern Munich away in the Champions League on 21 October, Everton at home on 24 October, Fleetwood in the EFL Cup on 27 October and Liverpool away on 1 November.
That run explains why the Hincapié timeline matters so much. If the Mirror’s three-week figure proves right, he could miss all of those games and return around the November international break. Our correct football prediction page already backs Arsenal to win at Forest, and we will update that pick after the Lille result and Friday’s press conference.
Where Can You Follow Arsenal Breaking News Live?
Fans search for “Arsenal breaking news now live”, “every 5 minutes” and “24 7” because they want one feed that never sleeps. In practice, these channels cover it best:
- Official Arsenal app and @Arsenal on X: team news, line-ups an hour before kick-off and confirmed injuries.
- Sky Sports News and BBC Sport live pages: rolling press-conference coverage and transfer-deadline live blogs.
- Goal.com and Metro: quick-fire Arsenal news, player ratings and reaction.
- Arsenal FC NewsNow: an aggregator that refreshes every few minutes and pulls headlines from hundreds of sites, so check the original source before you trust a claim.
- Fabrizio Romano: the go-to name for transfer news now; his “here we go” line usually means a deal is close to done.
We also run daily team-news pages for rival clubs. Read our Chelsea news now and Man Utd news now updates, and follow the football injury updates page for every Premier League absence in one place. For Barcelona news now, our Real Betis vs Barcelona preview has the latest LaLiga table and team news.
Planning to bet on tonight’s game? Our live betting guide explains how in-play odds react to team news, and the football betting guide covers the main markets. Compare the most reliable betting websites and our 8xbet vs SportyBet comparison, then check current offers on our promotions page.
18+ only. Betting carries real risk, and no result is certain. Set a budget before you bet and use our responsible gambling tools if you need support.
FAQ
Who is Arsenal FC’s best player?
Supporters voted Declan Rice Arsenal’s men’s Player of the Season for 2025-26, the second year in a row he won the award. He took 44% of the vote, ahead of David Raya in second and Gabriel in third.
Is Eze Arsenal player a Nigerian?
Eberechi Eze is English. He comes from Greenwich, London, where his story began on 29 June 1998, and his parents are Igbo Nigerians. That gives him Nigerian heritage and made him eligible for Nigeria, but he chose England and now plays for the England national team.
Will Trossard leave Arsenal?
Leandro Trossard has already left. He joined Beşiktaş in July 2026 for a reported £15.3 million and signed a three-year contract with the Turkish club.
Who has Arsenal just signed?
Arsenal’s summer 2026 first-team signings were Bruno Guimarães from Newcastle, Ezri Konsa from Aston Villa, Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge, Piero Hincapié on a permanent deal from Bayer Leverkusen and goalkeeper Illan Meslier on a free transfer from Leeds. The window is now closed, so the next signings can only come in January 2027.
