Arsenal have clarified the nature of Piero Hincapié’s latest injury after early fears of a hamstring problem have been replaced by fears over another groin injury.
The Ecuadorian defender was forced off in the 57th minute of Thursday’s goalless Premier League draw with Liverpool, initially appearing to clutch the back of his right leg. From the stands and on television, the concern looked to centre on his hamstring, with Hincapié showing visible discomfort as he left the pitch accompanied by the club’s medical staff. He was replaced by Myles Lewis-Skelly.
However, subsequent checks have identified the issue as a minor groin injury rather than a hamstring strain. Speaking to the media, Mikel Arteta sought to play down the severity, saying: “Piero suffered a small injury in the groin. We have to evaluate how it evolves over the next week, but everything indicates that it will be of short duration.”
The episode underlines a recurring theme in Hincapié’s first season in north London. When he arrived from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer, he was still managing the after-effects of groin surgery carried out in Germany, a fact confirmed at the time by Arteta, who acknowledged the defender was not at full fitness on arrival.
That same area troubled him again in his first appearance for the club, a late cameo in a 2-0 Champions League win over Athletic Club, effectively ruling him out for much of the early part of the campaign.
By mid-October, Hincapié had returned to full training and has went on to establish himself as a regular starter, helped in no small part to injuries to other defenders.
In total, the 24-year-old has now missed 11 games through injury this season, a sharp contrast to his previous record, having barely missed any football across his career prior to joining Arsenal.