Arsenal’s 2-1 victory over Leeds United was followed by an unwelcome injury update, with Mikel Arteta confirming that Piero Hincapié was not the only player to suffer a setback after the match.

Arteta explained that the squad had been due to train after the game, but the session ended in trouble when two players were hurt in separate incidents. The Arsenal manager said the players had not built up enough minutes to find the right rhythm, and that the club was left dealing with the consequences of those issues.

“We had a training session planned after the game for the players,” Arteta told reporters. “They didn’t have enough minutes to get everybody in the right rhythm and in two very unfortunate actions, we lost two players.

“When they have to play, they have no rhythm, and when you ask them to play, they’re going to have no impact in the game. [The injuries] could happen at the Emirates; it never happened in the seven years I was here. It could happen the next day in the training session, and that has happened before, and hopefully it happens now and doesn’t happen again. What can you do? If I knew I had a crystal ball clear, I’d say: ‘Guys, go in the Jacuzzi, everybody, I’ll see you tomorrow.’”

Both players have since been sent for scans to assess ankle damage. Arteta sounded especially cautious about Hincapié, saying, “Piero’s one looks a little bit more serious I think, but we’ll have to wait and see,” he sighed.

The setback also arrives at a difficult moment for Zubimendi. Once viewed as a central piece of the midfield rebuild, the Spaniard started 34 Premier League games last season during Arsenal’s title-winning campaign. This season has brought a different picture, with the 27-year-old named on the bench for all six league matches so far and given only 89 minutes in the competition.

He now sits behind Bruno Guimarães and Myles Lewis-Skelly in the contest to partner Declan Rice, and this injury interruption is likely to keep him out for at least a short spell, probably a matter of weeks.

Arsenal head into the September-October international break with their defensive picture still unsettled, even if there has been some welcome movement in training. The week has brought both encouragement and concern, with Ezri Konsa’s withdrawal from the England squad standing out as the main worry.

There is better news on Ben White, Piero Hincapié and Cristhian Mosquera, all of whom are back on the training pitch. White and Mosquera were unavailable for Arsenal’s 3–0 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion before club football paused, while Hincapié was named among the substitutes for that match and then did not report for Ecuador duty.

Konsa’s situation is more troubling. According to England manager Thomas Tuchel, the defender had been carrying discomfort in recent weeks, which suggests his involvement for the Three Lions was always a risk. He played 90 minutes against Spain, missed the win over Czechia, and then completed another full match in the victory over Croatia.

“Ezri came into camp with discomfort. [He] played against Spain which made it worse. He stayed in camp and tried everything for the match in Croatia and gave the green light,” Tuchel explained, which is sure to annoy Arsenal fans.

“Unfortunately, he got another hit on the quad and it caused some light trauma. We decided to not let him play through the pain again. Nothing major but not worth taking the risk.”

That leaves a question mark over Konsa’s availability for Saturday’s Premier League meeting with Leeds United. He was brought in late in the summer window and has already been used next to Gabriel because William Saliba is sidelined with a back injury. Saliba is not expected back until November at the earliest, so Mosquera may be the next option to step in, even if his match fitness is uncertain.

White and Hincapié are natural centre backs who have been adapted since joining the club, though White could still be required at right back. Jurrien Timber started against Brighton and played for an hour before being replaced by Martín Zubimendi, who has become a familiar defensive option despite being out of favour in midfield. Timber, who has spent an estimated 461 days injured since arriving in the summer of 2023, is aware of the need for caution.

“I have to be very smart about the steps we take. Otherwise, I’ll suffer a setback, and I don’t want that,” Timber told reporters this week.

Viktor Gyokeres has dismissed the summer speculation around his Arsenal future, insisting he never seriously considered moving on and was always settled at the club.

The striker said the noise around him did not change his thinking during the break between seasons. He pointed to a full preseason and a clear focus on Arsenal, adding that his decision was never in doubt. “Of course, there was a lot of speculation,” he confessed. “But I had a full preseason and it felt good. I was fully focused on Arsenal. For me, staying was a given. I’m extremely happy at the club.”

There is, however, a separate issue that may shape the coming weeks. Gyokeres has not yet enjoyed the regular league minutes he might have expected at the start of the campaign. Cup matches have provided opportunities, but Havertz has remained the preferred starter in the Premier League.

That frustration is not hidden. Earlier in this international break, Gyokeres admitted: “It’s clear that I want to play football—and as much as possible,” Gyokeres admitted earlier in this international break.

His international form has offered a sharp contrast. Gyokeres scored in Sweden’s 1-1 draw with Bosnia and Herzegovina on Friday, making it three goals from three games during this break. More significantly, he has become the first striker to score in six straight UEFA Nations League matches, a run that includes goals and an assist against Estonia and Slovakia, plus four goals against Azerbaijan toward the end of 2024.

With the Premier League set to resume next weekend, an injury to Havertz, who left Germany duty last week, could open the door for Gyokeres to press his case in front of Mikel Arteta.