Bad news hits Arsenal, stumbling in the title race.

Manager Mikel Arteta faces another personnel headache as Piero Hincapie becomes Arsenal's latest player to withdraw from the national team.

Hincapie was the most notable absence in Ecuador's recent training session as the team prepared to travel to Eindhoven for the upcoming friendly against the Netherlands. This defender withdrew from the squad due to a physical issue, and at this critical late-season stage, both Ecuador and Arsenal do not want to take risks.

The decision for the player to leave the training camp was made after agreement between the Ecuadorian Football Federation and Arsenal's medical department, to prevent the situation from worsening.

Hincapie's case is clearly a major concern for Arsenal, as Mikel Arteta has already been grappling with numerous fitness issues in the defensive line since the start of the season. Losing a player with high tactical versatility like Hincapie would be a significant blow for the North London side.

At 24, Hincapie quickly established an important role in Arsenal's defensive system after moving to the Premier League. His ability to perform well both as a left-back and a center-back makes him an extremely valuable asset in the current campaign.

Previously, Arsenal also saw three players withdraw from the England national team camp: Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, and Noni Madueke. Additionally, Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba have respectively withdrawn from the Brazilian and French national teams.

At this point, Arsenal will await medical test results to determine whether Hincapie can return for the next Premier League match.

Before the FIFA Days break, Arsenal had already noted injuries to Mikel Merino, Eberechi Eze, Leandro Trossard, and Martin Odegaard. The simultaneous issues affecting several key players are making Arsenal's squad depth a major question at this crucial stage of the season.

Immediately after the international break, the Emirates Stadium side will enter a dense and pressure-filled schedule. They will face Southampton in the FA Cup quarter-final, followed by a trip to Sporting Lisbon's stadium in European competition. In the Premier League, Arsenal still holds a significant advantage with a 9-point gap, but maintaining stability amidst a depleted squad is clearly not simple.

In this context, the continuous return of players to the club due to physical problems is not only an immediate personnel headache but also risks becoming a decisive turning point, directly impacting Arteta and his team's ambition to achieve a treble this season.