MIKEL ARTETA ADMITS it’s “far from ideal” that Piero Hincapie and Martin Zubimendi have been sidelined with ankle injuries sustained in a training session directly after Arsenal’s home win against Leeds.

Hincapie and Zubimendi both bizarrely suffered ankle injuries – the former described by Arteta as “more serious” – in a post-match warm-down at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

Footage has emerged on social media of Hincapie being piggy-backed off the pitch by third-choice goalkeeper Illan Meslier.

The Ecuador international, who was introduced in the 82nd minute, is seen sobbing into the back of Meslier and clutching his right ankle.

Arteta said the injuries followed “two very unfortunate actions”. Both players have been sent for scans. Spain international Zubimendi was an unused substitute in Arsenal’s 2-1 comeback win.

And Arteta, speaking ahead of Arsenal’s Champions League home match against Lille, said: “We had a training session planned after the game for the players who didn’t have enough minutes to get everybody in the right rhythm. And in two very unfortunate actions, we lost two players.

“It’s far from ideal. They’re both going to miss tomorrow’s match, that’s for sure. Today they’re going to have a further scan and probably tomorrow we’ll know more and then we’ll see how they’re going to go. Piero’s one looks a little bit more serious.”

The surprising nature of the injuries will raise questions about staging a training session in the aftermath of a Premier League match.

But Arteta continued: “Well, the temptation is to say that now we don’t want to take that risk and we’ll do something else. But we were going to do that anyway the next day.

“When you play this kind of small-sided games, there is contact, and these things have happened. They didn’t happen once last season, and we did it 37 times.

“It is very easy. If you don’t train, they don’t get injured, and the consequence of that is when they have to play, they have no rhythm, and when you ask them to play, they’re going to have no impact on the game.

“It has never happened in seven years that I have been here. Hopefully it happens now and doesn’t happen again. If I had a crystal ball, I’d say, ‘Guys, go in the jacuzzi, and I’ll see you tomorrow’. It is a sport of contact and this can happen.”

In a boost to Arteta, William Saliba could make his return in the coming weeks.

The France international has not played this season after he suffered a back injury for France at the World Cup.

Saliba trained individually at the club’s London Colney training base on Monday, and Arteta continued: “He has been on the grass for over a week now.

“He’ll be managing that load, and how many repetitions and sessions in a row he can do, and he’s building his capacity to good standards.”