ARS VS LIL: Arsenal’s Confirmed Team News And Best Possible Starting Line-up Against Lille

According to a report by London Evening Standard on Monday October 12, 2026, Arsenal face Lille at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, October 13, hoping to record consecutive Champions League victories after beginning their European campaign with a narrow win against Napoli last month.

However, Mikel Arteta has suffered an unexpected selection setback, with Piero Hincapie and Martin Zubimendi both ruled out after sustaining ankle injuries during a training session following Saturday’s victory over Leeds United.

The pair have been sent for further scans to determine the severity of their injuries. Hincapie’s situation appears more concerning after the defender reportedly required assistance from third-choice goalkeeper Illan Meslier to leave the pitch.

Arteta confirmed both players would miss the Lille encounter, although the manager admitted that their recovery timelines remained uncertain. Further medical assessments are expected to provide clearer information about their conditions.

“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,” Arteta explained when discussing the injured duo.

Hincapie’s absence could provide Myles Lewis-Skelly with an opportunity to return to Arsenal’s starting lineup at left-back. Arteta may prefer to manage Riccardo Calafiori’s workload after the defender featured three times for Italy during the international break.

In midfield, Mikel Merino could be introduced alongside Declan Rice following Zubimendi’s unexpected absence. Eberechi Eze will also hope to earn a starting opportunity after missing out against Leeds, while Viktor Gyokeres could lead Arsenal’s attack.

Jurrien Timber and Ben White remain options at right-back, with Arteta potentially continuing his approach of sharing playing time between the defenders. The manager must balance maintaining defensive stability with managing his squad’s workload.

Arsenal will also remain without William Saliba, who continues recovering from a back injury, while Christos Tzolis is another absentee listed ahead of Tuesday’s fixture.

Predicted Arsenal XI (4-2-3-1): Raya; Timber, Konsa, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Rice, Merino; Saka, Odegaard, Eze; Gyokeres.

Injured: William Saliba, Piero Hincapie, Martin Zubimendi and Christos Tzolis.

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