Hincapie carried off after match despite not starting vs Leeds

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Piero Hincapie needed to be carried off the pitch after Arsenal's 2-1 win over Leeds United, with the defender clutching his right ankle during the post-match warm-down.

Hincapie came on as a substitute during the victory at the Emirates but appeared to pick up the issue once the game had finished. Back-up goalkeeper Illan Meslier was the man who helped carry him from the field, according to the Mirror.

It caps a frustrating few weeks for the Ecuadorian. Hincapie missed the Carabao Cup tie against Ipswich Town last month with muscular problems, and he was then left out of Ecuador's squad for the international break so Arsenal could continue managing his fitness. His appearance off the bench against Leeds was just his fourth for the club this season, and only his second involvement since starting against Napoli. In total, he has missed 16 matches for club and country since the start of last season.

A hard-fought win for Arteta's side

On the pitch, Arsenal had to dig in to see off Daniel Farke's Leeds side. James Justin put the visitors ahead before Riccardo Calafiori levelled things up with a well-worked goal. Bruno Guimaraes then struck what proved to be the winner in the 70th minute, sending the Emirates home happy after a difficult run heading into the fixture.

The result followed a defeat to Brighton before the international break, a performance Mikel Arteta was keen to put right. Speaking after the game, he reflected on the response from his players.

“It's every time we put that shirt on,” Arteta said. “The last time that we put our shirt on, something was missing, and we need to be very conscious of that. From being exceptional and being the champions to being extremely average, like in that game, it's a really thin line. So if you don't want it more than the opponent, you are not able to cope emotionally with certain situations, you're going to suffer.”

He added: “We all suffered and we didn't enjoy one bit that game. But then you have to learn the lesson, and we certainly did that. We spoke about it and you could sense that it was something in their tummies.”

What's next for Hincapie

Arsenal will now wait to discover whether the ankle issue is significant enough to keep Hincapie sidelined again. Given his history of fitness problems since arriving at the club, any extended period out would represent another setback in his bid to establish himself as a regular option in Arteta's backline. Further assessment from the club's medical staff is expected to clarify the extent of the problem in the coming days.