Arsenal in double injury worry as Andrea Berta training interaction spotted
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Arsenal's Martin Zubimendi and Ben White have given manager Mikel Arteta a fresh injury headache ahead of the Premier League showdown with Fulham . White was notably absent from the open training session at London Colney, while Zubimendi was seen observing from the sidelines alongside Gunners sporting director Andrea Berta.
There was some good news for Arteta, however, as Piero Hincapie took part in training. The deadline day signing has only played a few minutes since his move from Bayer Leverkusen due to a groin injury that kept him out of the last five matches.
Fitness issues have been a recurring problem for Arsenal this season, with William Saliba, Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard among those who have missed games. Odegaard is currently sidelined with a knee issue that is expected to keep him out until November.
The Gunners' skipper had already been forced off during two separate matches with a shoulder problem before suffering an MCL injury prior to the October international break.
Noni Madueke and Kai Havertz are also aiming to return next month, with Arteta's update on Havertz suggesting he could even be back sooner.
"With Kai, we know that it will be months with him. I don't know if it can be weeks; you never know... We really miss him," he confessed in September. "Hopefully, he will be back, and back for the long term as well, so it is very important to look after that knee. So far, he's progressing pretty well."
Saka and Saliba, having both played a significant amount for their respective countries over the past fortnight, are nearing full fitness and are thus expected to start against Fulham.
Jurrien Timber's standout performances at right-back have kept White sidelined, but Zubimendi's potential absence at Craven Cottage could pose a real problem.
The summer recruit was a substitute in the victory over West Ham United earlier this month, but was compelled to enter the fray earlier than anticipated due to Odegaard's injury.
He clocked up 144 minutes for Spain during the domestic hiatus, with Mikel Merino also taking part in both matches and maintaining his scoring streak on the international stage by bagging a double.
If Zubimendi is unfit to play, he could be replaced in the team by Christian Norgaard or Arteta could opt to move Rice deeper and bring Merino into the starting XI.
Arteta is set to provide an update in his pre-match press conference tomorrow ahead of the Saturday evening showdown with Fulham, so the pair's absence may simply be a precaution.
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