Piero Hincapié has been handed valuable recovery time after being left out of Ecuador’s squad for the international break.
The Arsenal defender is continuing to manage a muscular problem which recently kept him out of the Carabao Cup victory over Ipswich Town.
Hincapié returned to Mikel Arteta’s squad for Saturday’s 3-0 defeat at Brighton but remained an unused substitute.
Ecuadorian outlet El Comercio reports that new head coach Marcelo Gallardo omitted Hincapié because he is not yet back to full fitness.
Piero Hincapié gets Arsenal recovery window
Remaining in north London removes the demands of Ecuador’s international tour and gives Arsenal’s medical staff almost three weeks to work with the 24-year-old.
Hincapié has played only 154 competitive minutes for Arsenal this season, including the full Champions League victory over Napoli.
His situation is already being tracked in our updated Arsenal injury news hub.
The extra recovery time is particularly useful while Arteta continues to manage several defensive fitness concerns.
Hincapié can operate at centre-back or left-back, making his availability valuable across a demanding October schedule.
Arsenal return against Leeds United on Saturday 10 October, before facing Lille three days later.
Our Arsenal fixtures and results hub tracks the full schedule.
For Hincapié, the objective is now straightforward: use the international break to return ready to compete for a starting place.
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