Arsenal defender Piero Hincapie was forced off with an injury during Thursday’s 0-0 draw against Liverpool, further depleting Mikel Arteta’s defensive options.
Arsenal’s Premier League title charge suffered a significant setback on Thursday night as defender Piero Hincapie was forced off during their high-stakes encounter against Liverpool.
With the score deadlocked at 0-0, the summer signing from Bayer Leverkusen hobbled off the pitch in the 57th minute.
He was replaced by youngster Myles Lewis-Skelly, leaving Mikel Arteta to manage yet another defensive vacancy during a crucial period of the season.
The injury further depletes an Arsenal backline already missing key personnel.
Before kickoff, Arteta confirmed that defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Riccardo Calafiori remained unavailable for selection.
Discussing their recovery, the manager stated: “I think pretty soon [they will return]. They have to go through the last stage of the rehab, and if everything goes well, hopefully soon they will be available for selection.”
Despite the mounting injury list, Arsenal entered the match seeking to extend their lead at the top of the table following dropped points by Manchester City and Aston Villa.
Facing the reigning champions, Arteta remained defiant about his team’s ambitions at the Emirates.
He emphasized the importance of the fixture, saying, “We are top of the table, we play at home against a really good opponent. We want to maintain our position.”