Arsenal 24yo a doubt for next game despite making squad vs Brighton

Ryan Taylor reports for Football.London that sources close to Arsenal defender Piero Hincapie have indicated he remains a doubt to face Leeds United in the Gunners’ next game.

Taylor writes that Hincapie has been struggling with a muscular problem, believed to be his groin, and Arsenal are assessing him closely.

The Gunners are reportedly trying to build Hincapie’s fitness slowly via an individual training programme, and the medical staff are keen to protect the defender despite Arsenal’s busy schedule. His progress will be monitored closely over the next week and a half.

To some extent, it’s surprising that Hincapie is still a doubt for Arsenal’s last match. After all, he featured in the squad to face Brighton and Hove Albion after the initial injury reports, suggesting the situation wasn’t particularly serious.

The defender was then left out of the Ecuador squad for the international break, giving him a further chance to recover fully.

But Hincapie did subsequently confirm that he wasn’t fit enough to accept a call-up, so it was then clear that despite his inclusion against Brighton, he’s still dealing with his injury issue.

For the time being, Arsenal fans won’t be overly concerned about Hincapie’s situation. As long as the player is back soon, Riccardo Calafiori should be able to fill in until then.

The problem is that Calafiori is still on international duty, as is emergency left-back option Myles Lewis-Skelly. Another injury or two and Hincapie’s status could become a much greater cause for concern.