Arsenal defender Piero Hincapie carried off after Leeds victory

Piero Hincapié

Arsenal were dealt a fresh injury setback immediately following their 2-1 victory against Leeds United on Saturday lunchtime, with defender Piero Hincapie suffering an ankle issue during the post-match warm-down.

The Ecuador international was introduced from the bench in the 82nd minute to replace Riccardo Calafiori as the Gunners fought back to claim all three points at the Emirates Stadium.

Ankle problem following post-match drills

Hincapie took part in routine physical conditioning on the pitch alongside fellow substitutes after the final whistle. However, the defender required assistance off the field after clutching his right ankle following an unexplained incident during running drills.

The 24-year-old was helped towards the dressing rooms by third-choice goalkeeper Illan Meslier. Arsenal medical staff will monitor the versatile defender over the coming days to determine the full extent of the damage.

The setback comes as an unwelcome frustration for manager Mikel Arteta, who was already dealing with several key absences across his squad despite welcoming back returning players prior to kick-off.

Arteta praises squad response after recent setback

The Gunners had to show resilience against Daniel Farke’s side after falling behind to a second-half strike from James Justin. Goals from Calafiori and Bruno Guimaraes ultimately secured the win for the hosts.

Speaking to reporters after the match, Arteta acknowledged the difficult circumstances surrounding the fixture following their recent loss to Brighton.

It was a difficult context to get into the game with the defeat against Brighton, still hurting, and having three weeks without players.

The manager was pleased with how his side maintained composure after conceding the opening goal ten minutes into the second period.

We conceded the goal, and then it’s: what are we made of?

Arsenal responded swiftly, equalising seven minutes later through Calafiori before Guimaraes sealed the victory with twenty minutes remaining.

The response was incredible – firstly from the players, then from the crowd.

Arteta highlighted the emotional significance of the result following their previous domestic setback.

When you come from a heavy defeat and when emotionally you’ve been punched, that’s what we need.

Defensive options tested ahead of European action

Hincapie’s potential absence adds to existing selection headaches in the Arsenal backline. Central defender William Saliba remains sidelined with an ongoing back problem, while Cristhian Mosquera has not featured since August.

Attacker Christos Tzolis is also unavailable after picking up a hamstring injury during international duty with Greece.

Arteta did receive positive news before the match as Declan Rice, Ezri Konsa, Ben White, Max Dowman and Kai Havertz were all passed fit to feature.

Should Hincapie be unavailable for any period, Arteta may turn to Myles Lewis-Skelly or Jurrien Timber to provide cover at left-back behind Calafiori.

Lille challenge awaits at the Emirates

Arsenal turn their attention to continental matters as they prepare to host French side Lille in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

Hincapie will be evaluated over the next 48 hours to see if he can feature in the European fixture, having started their opening match in the competition against Napoli.