"Yes it was": Mikel Arteta confirms hamstring injury for £45m Arsenal star

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has provided a concerning update on defender Piero Hincapie ahead of the FA Cup quarter-final against Southampton on the road tomorrow.

The Ecuador international has been the regular left-back for the Gunners since the turn of the year, but he won’t play any part in the upcoming FA Cup tie at St Mary’s.

Hincapie picked up a hamstring injury during an international friendly against Morocco last week and subsequently withdrew from the squad to face the Netherlands.

It was deemed precautionary at the time, but speaking in today’s press conference, Arteta confirmed that the defender’s injury was serious.

When asked whether the setback was serious, he told reporters: “Yes it was”. The Spanish tactician added that he can’t place an exact timescale on when the defender could return.

Arsenal have sufficient depth to overcome Hincapie’s absence

The Bayer Leverkusen loanee has been a revelation for the Gunners. His form has been pretty good since the New Year. Arsenal have already made the decision to trigger his £45 million buy clause this summer.

Despite him being sidelined, the Gunners are still in a strong position in the left-back department. Riccardo Calafiori looked lively coming off the bench in the Carabao Cup final loss to Manchester City.

The Italian completed 100 percent of his passes (10/10). He had one shot on target, with another hitting the woodwork. Based on that performance alone, he deserves a starting berth on Saturday.

Myles Lewis-Skelly had a good international break with the England Under-21s, and the Gunners graduate will be hoping for more playing time during the season run-in with Hincapie ruled out.

Hincapie’s defensive attributes could be missed over the coming games, but Arsenal have the left-back position well covered through Calafiori and Lewis-Skelly, who may have a point to prove.

Calafiori was almost ever-present in the role at the start of the campaign before an untimely injury. The 23-year-old has the opportunity to cement his starting position again in Hincapie’s absence.

Stats from Transfermarkt.com & Sofascore.com

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