Arsenal defender Piero Hincapié has stepped up his recovery from an ankle injury, after he was spotted carrying out individual work on the grass during the club’s open training session on Tuesday.
The Ecuadorian was pictured working away from the main group at Sobha Realty Training Centre, as Mikel Arteta’s squad prepared for Wednesday’s Champions League trip to Bayern Munich. While he is not expected to be involved in Germany, his return to the grass is an encouraging sign that his recovery is progressing well.
Hincapié suffered the injury during a post-match warm-down following the 2-1 win over Leeds United earlier this month. Having come off the bench in the last ten minutes, he was taking part in small-sided games with other players who had not featured for long when he went down, and was carried off the pitch after being unable to put weight on his right leg.
He has since missed the victories over Lille and Nottingham Forest, with Myles Lewis-Skelly and Riccardo Calafiori sharing the left-back duties in his absence.
Speaking before the Forest game, Arteta was optimistic about the defender’s recovery, praising his character and suggesting the injury would not keep him out for long, though he admitted he would probably need another week or two. When asked whether Hincapié could return before next month’s international break, the Arsenal boss said he was very hopeful.
Tuesday’s update suggests that timeline is realistic. Players typically progress from individual work on the grass to partial and then full team training, meaning Hincapié could be back in contention in the coming weeks.
His return would be welcome news for Arteta. Hincapié joined on loan from Bayer Leverkusen in August 2025 before the move was made permanent, but has been hampered by groin and muscular issues throughout his time in north London.
Arsenal’s defence has coped admirably without him. Gabriel Magalhães and Ezri Konsa have kept four Premier League clean sheets this season, while William Saliba is set for another scan this week as he continues his own recovery from a back injury.
Martin Zubimendi, who was injured in the same warm-down session, has already returned to the squad, travelling with the team to Nottingham on Sunday.
Arsenal travel to Munich on Wednesday looking to make it three wins from three in the league phase, before hosting Everton at the Emirates on Saturday.
The Gunners then travel to Fleetwood in the Carabao Cup, Liverpool in the Premier League, and Slavia Praha in the Champions League, and Hincapié will be hopeful of joining the side for one of these visits.