Piero Hincapie returns to Arsenal with medical issue as injury concerns grow | Football | Sport

Arsenal have been handed a fresh injury worry with Piero Hincapie being withdrawn from the Ecuador squad for their next international fixture. Hincapie was called up to his country’s national team squad for their friendly matches against Morocco and the Netherlands this month.

The Gunners defender was in action for Ecuador on Friday as he played more than an hour in a 1-1 draw against Morocco, before he was withdrawn in the 72nd minute to be replaced by Brighton defender Pervis Estupinan.

With Ecuador due to face the Netherlands on Tuesday, multiple outlets have now reported that Hincapie has been withdrawn from his country’s squad and will not take part in the fixture.

While the exact reason for Hincapie’s exit has not been stated, it has been reported that the decision was taken after the Arsenal defender underwent medical tests ahead of the clash against the Netherlands.

Hincapie has been a key player for Arsenal this season following his move from Bayer Leverkusen last summer, making 33 appearances across all competitions.

However, Mikel Arteta and Co. will now face a nervous wait to discover if the defender has suffered an injury that could keep him on the sidelines for any length of time.

Arsenal have a busy schedule when they return after the international break, starting with an FA Cup quarter-final against Southampton on April 4.

That will be followed by the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Sporting Lisbon, before Arsenal return to Premier League duties on April 11 where they will host Bournemouth at the Emirates Stadium.

Hincapie is not the only player to return to Arsenal early during this international break, with several other stars seeing their spell with their national teams come to an early end this week.

Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice and Noni Madueke have all left the England squad following the 1-1 draw with Uruguay on Friday, as the trio will undergo fitness tests upon their return to Arsenal.

Rice and Saka were not part of the squad that featured at Wembley in the draw against Uruguay, with England confirming that the duo will each undergo a “medical assessment” when they return to the Gunners.

Madueke started for England in the stalemate at Wembley, but suffered an injury during the game that forced the Arsenal star to be substituted before half-time.