Ahead of Arsenal's Champions League Matchday 2 home game against Lille, head coach Mikel Arteta gave an interview to Sky Sport.

Let's start with two specific injury situations. These injuries occurred after the match against Leeds United. Hincapié and Zubimendi will be unavailable, and we didn't see them on the training pitch today...

Yes, these things happen. We had a training session where two players picked up injuries in very unfortunate challenges. Although we always try to avoid such incidents, when there's physical contact in training and everyone has such a strong competitive desire and fighting spirit, these injuries are sometimes unavoidable.

If players don't train, they won't get injured, but if they don't train the day after a match, they could still get injured elsewhere. It's truly very sad, especially since they were two players I really wanted to field. They are excellent lads, like treasures, and now they can't play.

So let's get straight to the point and talk specifically about Lille. First of all, you will face Olivier Giroud in this match, a player you know very well. Do you have a special bond with him, or is there a particular story you'd like to share? You were teammates for a long time, and Giroud has often mentioned in interviews that even when you were a player, you already showed the potential and qualities of a head coach...

(Laughs) We had a very good relationship in the past and went through many wonderful journeys and good times together. He is an admirable player, both personally in how he conducts himself and as a leader for the entire team. As a player, he has had an incredible career, and even now he can still perform at such a high competitive level and maintain high standards in this league. I hope the fans in the stadium tomorrow will give him the warm welcome he deserves, because he was once a player loved by everyone. I hope we can win tomorrow, and then we can have a good get-together and a drink afterwards.

So, what kind of team is Lille? What specific demands have you made of your players? What characteristics of the opponent does this Arsenal team need to pay most attention to during the match?

A lot, because they are an extremely well-organized and disciplined team. Davide has built a team that performs exceptionally well in terms of tempo, dynamic formation fluidity, and tactical clarity. Their start to the league has been impressive, and once you give them space to run into, they become an extremely dangerous team. In addition, they are a very vertical team with strong penetrating power and a clear understanding of which spaces to attack. For tomorrow's game, there's no question: we must stick to our own style and deliver a better overall performance than our opponent.

My last question is about Manchester City, because they returned to action yesterday and won their match, and are currently at the top of the Premier League table. I'm wondering what your reaction was to the news about the 115 financial irregularity charges. What were your thoughts at the time? Do you look back and re-evaluate everything you've experienced in the past few years?

No, I've already said in the press conference that this is an ongoing process that has not yet been resolved. I will not make any comments until this process is completely finished and a conclusion has been reached.

AF's PC site is now live! Browse full news, comments, match details and stats on your computer. Visit: www.allfootballapp.com