Arsenal hit by two fresh injuries hours before Lille clash

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Arsenal's preparations for Tuesday night's Champions League clash with Lille have been thrown into disarray after two players picked up ankle injuries in training, just days after a hard fought Premier League win.

Mikel Arteta confirmed that Piero Hincapié and Martin Zubimendi will both miss the visit of the Ligue 1 side to the Emirates Stadium. Arsenal's official team news update revealed the pair were injured during a post match training session held to maintain fitness levels for players who had not featured heavily against Leeds United on Saturday, a game Arsenal won 2-1 after falling behind.

Hincapié's injury is believed to be the more serious of the two, with both players requiring further assessment before any return timeline is clear. William Saliba remains sidelined too, though the Frenchman has resumed individual training on grass. His comeback is still expected to take several weeks, with the November international break seen as a realistic target.

Selection headaches up front as well as at the back

The fresh defensive and midfield absences leave Arteta with limited alternatives to call upon against a Lille side sitting second in Ligue 1. Further forward, there are decisions to be made too.

Viktor Gyökeres returned from international duty in strong goalscoring form but had to settle for a place among the substitutes against Leeds. Tonight could represent an opportunity for the Swede to start, particularly with Christos Tzolis's availability in doubt following a suspected hamstring issue picked up on international duty.

That uncertainty around Tzolis could open the door for Eberechi Eze to feature on the left, with the midfielder eager for more minutes. Arteta has acknowledged that his side need to be more clinical in front of goal, a point that will carry extra weight against a Lille team capable of hurting stronger opposition on the counter.

Lille arrive in good form under Ancelotti

Davide Ancelotti's Lille have made an encouraging start to the season despite losing several key players over the summer. They won three of their opening four league matches and returned from the international break with a 1-0 win over Le Havre thanks to an early Dilane Bakwa goal, lifting them back to second in the table.

Their Champions League campaign began less smoothly, though, as they lost 3-2 at home to Real Betis despite twice taking the lead. Japanese striker Ayase Ueda, who joined from Feyenoord after a 25 goal league campaign, has already scored three times in his first four appearances for the club. Benjamin André offers experience in midfield, while former Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud, now 40, is part of the squad but has mostly featured from the bench this season.

Arsenal will look to home advantage and the momentum from Saturday's win to see them through, but with defensive options stretched, there is little margin for error against a Lille attack that has already shown it can trouble top sides.