Arsenal got a lot of great squad fitness news yesterday, as Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, Max Dowman and Ezri Konsa were all passed fit to feature (after entering the weekend as potential injury concerns) against Leeds United in the Premier League fixture. Three members of the quartet (Dowman was the only exception) started the 2-1 win over Leeds on Saturday. We’re predicting that all four will begin the next match on the bench, but we’ll cover that in the next article. For now, let’s focus on the new injury concern that arose yesterday: Piero Hincapie.
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Reportedly, Hincapie suffered an ankle injury of some sort in the post-victory warm down, and he’s a strong doubt for the next match, which is going to get here rather soon actually.
Up next is a Tuesday night Champions League clash against Lille (or LOSC). Given the quick turnaround, Hincapie will face a tight race against time to be passed fit.
The other team news item concerns Christos Tzolis, who has a hamstring injury. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta gave an update on him on Friday, saying: “Tzolis has a muscle injury, and he’s going to be out, I think, for a few weeks. He’s not available yet.”
And of course, William Saliba (back) remains sidelined.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.