Arsenal's Injury Toll Grows During International Break: Nine Withdrawn and Counting
29 March 2026
Arsenal hit by new injury during international break
Arsenal received news of another injury, becoming the ninth player in the squad to withdraw from international duty during the current window.
According to The Mirror, Piero Hincapié returned to London from Ecuador's camp and will not feature in the friendly against the Netherlands on Tuesday after taking part in the 1-1 draw with Morocco.
The Ecuadorian Football Federation's official statement said that Hincapié and Dinel Castillo underwent medical and radiological tests, and based on the assessment, both were ruled out of the national team.
The results were sent to their clubs immediately, and the two players will begin their recoveries under the supervision of the national team's medical staff.
Hincapié has become a key figure for Arteta in recent months, featuring 31 times this season since joining on loan from Bayer Leverkusen, establishing himself as the first-choice left-back ahead of other options and keeping the manager hopeful for the decisive phase ahead.
Arsenal are set for a high-stakes FA Cup quarter-final against Southampton, before travelling to Portugal for the Champions League quarter-final first leg with Sporting CP on 7 April.
They then resume Premier League duty against Bournemouth on 11 April, leading the table by nine points over Manchester City with seven games remaining, including a league clash at the Etihad on 19 April.
Hincapié becomes the ninth Arsenal player to withdraw from international duty, mirroring England's decision to recall three players and bring them back to Arsenal after the 1-1 draw with Uruguay on Friday night.
Madueke picked up an injury after starting at Wembley, while Rice and Saka were rested for a friendly against Japan; England's coach ultimately decided to exclude the trio.
These players joined Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Magalhães, William Saliba, Jurriën Timber and Martin Ødegaard, who were all unavailable for their national teams due to fitness concerns or scheduling.
One-month absence for Eze due to a calf strain, while others missed friendlies for fitness reasons. Captain Ødegaard has been out for a month with a knee injury and is expected back in the coming weeks, while Trossard (Belgium), Gabriel (Brazil), Saliba (France), and Timber (Netherlands) were excused after discussions between their federations and Arsenal.
Punchline 1: If injuries were a sport, Arsenal would be world champions of the injury break — and the trophy would come with a prescription timer.
Punchline 2: In the transfer window of life, sometimes the fastest recovery is a good joke and a solid playlist. Stay tuned!
