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According to a report by London Evening Standard on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, Arsenal have received a significant injury boost after defender Piero Hincapie returned to training ahead of their Champions League encounter against Bayern Munich.
The Ecuadorian international has resumed individual training after suffering an ankle injury, raising hopes that he could return to action before the upcoming international break.
Hincapie has missed Arsenal’s last two matches after picking up the injury during a training session following the club’s victory over Leeds United. The 24-year-old had played the final ten minutes of the match before taking part in additional drills at the Emirates Stadium.
However, he injured his ankle during the session and had to be carried off the pitch on the back of goalkeeper Illan Meslier. The unusual incident raised concerns about his fitness and availability for Arsenal’s upcoming fixtures.
Following medical scans, manager Mikel Arteta suggested that the defender could be sidelined for several weeks. However, Hincapie has made encouraging progress and returned to the training ground on Tuesday afternoon.
The defender completed individual exercises away from the main group as he gradually increased his workload. Although he is not expected to feature against Bayern Munich on Wednesday night, his return to training suggests that his recovery could be quicker than initially anticipated.
If he continues to make progress without suffering any setbacks, Hincapie could become available again before the international break. His return would provide Arteta with another defensive option during an important period of the season.
Meanwhile, goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga took part in Arsenal’s final training session before the squad travelled to Germany. He missed Sunday’s match against Nottingham Forest because of a minor issue, with Meslier taking his place on the bench.
Several young players also joined the first-team squad for Tuesday’s training session, including Ceadach O’Neill, Josh Ogunnaike, Remy Mitchell, Marli Salmon and Max Dowman.