£34.5m Arsenal defender left out of international duty after groin strain

Arsenal defender Piero Hincapie has been left out of the Ecuador national squad for their upcoming international friendlies. The 24-year-old is reportedly recovering from a groin strain and is currently in the process of regaining full match fitness. Hincapie joined Arsenal permanently for £34.5 million last summer following a successful season-long loan from Bayer Leverkusen.

Although Hincapie returned to the bench as an unused substitute during Arsenal's recent 3-0 Premier League defeat to Brighton, manager Mikel Arteta opted not to risk him. The international break is expected to provide the versatile defender with a crucial opportunity to regain sharpness. He had previously featured in three of Arsenal's first four games this season and started in the Champions League against Napoli.