Arsenal have another injury scare after Piero Hincapie was left out of the Ecuador squad for the next international match. Hincapie has been called up to the national team for friendlies against Morocco and the Netherlands this month.
The Gunners defender played more than an hour for Ecuador in the 1-1 draw against Morocco on Friday, but was removed in the 72nd minute to be replaced by Brighton defender Pervis Estupinan.
Ecuador is scheduled to play the Netherlands on Tuesday, but multiple media outlets have reported that Hincapie has been removed from the country’s national team and will not play in the game.
The exact reason for Hincapie’s departure has not been revealed, but it is reported that the decision was made after the Arsenal defender underwent a medical test ahead of the game against the Netherlands.
Hincapie has been a key player for Arsenal this season after joining from Bayer Leverkusen last summer, making 33 appearances in all competitions.
But Mikel Arteta and his colleagues will now wait nervously to find out whether the defender has suffered an injury that could keep him out for an extended period of time.
Once Arsenal return after the international break, they have a busy schedule ahead of them, starting with the FA Cup quarter-final against Southampton on April 4.
This will be followed by the Champions League quarter-final first leg against Sporting Lisbon, before Arsenal return to Premier League duties on April 11, when they face Bournemouth at the Emirates Stadium.
Hincapie is not the only player to return to Arsenal early during the international break, with several other star players also ending their time with their national team earlier this week.
Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice and Noni Maduke were withdrawn from the England squad following Friday’s 1-1 draw with Uruguay and the trio will undergo fitness tests upon their return to Arsenal.
Rice and Saka were not included in the squad for the draw with Uruguay at Wembley, and England have confirmed that the pair will each undergo “medical tests” upon their return to the Gunners.
Maduke started for England in the stalemate against Wembley, but suffered an injury during the match and the Arsenal star was forced to be substituted before half-time.
