Arsenal have had a timely lift ahead of the Bayern Munich match, with Piero Hincapie back on the grass after his recent ankle injury. He is not ready for this one, that much is clear, but the situation looks far less serious than first feared.

Hincapie missed the last two games after hurting his ankle in training following the win over Leeds. It was an odd episode. He had played the final ten minutes of that match, then joined in drills at the Emirates and suffered the injury there, before being carried off on Illan Meslier’s back. After the scans, Mikel Arteta said he could face “weeks” out. That no longer looks likely.

Hincapie recovery moving in right direction

The 24-year-old returned to training on Tuesday afternoon, working through individual drills away from the main group. That is where Arsenal are with him right now, cautious, controlled, no drama. He is not expected to feature against Bayern Munich, but if there are no setbacks as the load on his ankle increases, he should be back before the international break.

That matters. Hincapie gives Arsenal depth, mobility and another option across the back line. At this stage of the season, availability is often as important as quality.

Arsenal training brings better news elsewhere

Kepa Arrizabalaga was also involved in the final session before the trip to Germany. He had been left out of the squad against Nottingham Forest, with Meslier on the bench instead, after a minor issue. He has now recovered.

There were also places in training for Ceadach O’Neill, Josh Ogunnaike, Remy Mitchell, Marli Salmon and Max Dowman. As for absentees, with Hincapie back doing individual work, only William Saliba and Christos Tzolis were not seen by the media.

Bayern Munich test arrives too soon

The bottom line is simple. Arsenal will almost certainly be without Hincapie in Munich, but this has stopped looking like a long-term problem. For Arteta, that is the key takeaway before a huge European night. The defender is progressing, Kepa is back, and the squad looks closer to full strength than it did a few days ago.