Mikel Arteta confirms Arsenal injury boost ahead of Champions League clash

Mikel Arteta has issued a positive injury update on Piero Hincapie, who’s in contention to make his second appearance for Arsenal on Tuesday when they welcome Atletico Madrid in the Champions League

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has confirmed that summer signing Piero Hincapie is available to face Atletico Madrid on Tuesday. Hincapie, 23, has only played six minutes of football for the Gunners since completing a season-long loan move from Bayer Leverkusen in August.

The defender came on as a substitute during Arsenal’s opening game in the Champions League on September 16, helping see out a 2-0 win away to Athletic Bilbao. Hincapie has been sidelined since then and was subsequently ruled out of international duty for Ecuador.

Now the Leverkusen loanee is in contention for his second Arsenal appearance when they welcome Diego Simeone’s Atletico to the Emirates. “Yeah, he will be available,” Arteta confirmed at his pre-match press conference.

“I think that game (Saturday’s 1-0 away victory over Fulham) was a bit to early for him, but now he’s ready to go.”

Hincapie’s injury came from an increase in workload since joining the Gunners, who have the option to sign him permanently next summer for £45million. The left-footer can play as either a centre-back or left-back, but he shone on the left of a back three under Xabi Alonso in Germany.

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Arteta is unlikely to rotate players for the visit of Atletico as Arsenal bid to make it three successive wins to the start of their European campaign. The Gunners have conceded just three goals all season, making Hincapie’s job of replacing Riccardo Calafiori at left-back even tougher.

Also in his press conference, Arteta heaped praise his opposite number ahead of their first meeting as managers. “What he (Simeone) has done since he got to Atletico has been outstanding, not only what has achieved but the way he has done it,” the Gunners boss hailed.

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“The identity he has created, they are simple and clear to identify because the manager is very much them. That’s very difficult to achieve, he’s been there 14 years and what he’s done is incredible.

“He is someone I look up to. His passion, how long he has been in the game, how he still has that capacity to transmit a willingness to win. To keep convincing players in this environment, you have to be extraordinarily good.”

For Atletico, they’ve been boosted by the availability of left-back Nico Gonzalez, who’s recovered from a head injury that he sustained in their 1-0 win against Osasuna on Saturday. The Spanish giants, who are fourth in La Liga, began their Champions League campaign with a 3-2 loss away to Liverpool before hammering Eintracht Frankfurt 5-1 in Madrid.

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