Arteta Drops Bombshell: Key Defender Could Miss Crucial Chelsea Semi-Final Showdown
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta delivered a concerning assessment regarding Piero Hincapié's availability for Wednesday's Carabao Cup semi-final clash with Chelsea, providing his characteristic ambiguous injury report.
Hincapié was substituted (without assistance from Gabriel Martinelli) during the first hour of Arsenal's scoreless stalemate with Liverpool last Thursday. The muscle problem that affected the summer signing was significant enough to rule him out of this weekend's FA Cup encounter at Portsmouth.
The Gunners managed to progress to the fourth round despite Hincapié's absence, though Myles Lewis-Skelly's display likely raised some alarm bells for Arteta. Apart from a swift free-kick that ultimately contributed to Arsenal's third strike in their 4–1 victory, the young defender struggled considerably against the Championship opponents, avoiding tackles and consistently failing to persuade the official that he had been fouled.
With Riccardo Calafiori also questionable due to injury, Arteta's troubling assessment of Hincapié might force Lewis-Skelly back into the lineup at Stamford Bridge this week.
"We'll likely have a clearer picture tomorrow regarding his condition," Arteta carefully stated when asked about Hincapié's fitness after Sunday's triumph at Fratton Park. "Naturally, having to withdraw him [against Liverpool] is never encouraging, but we're hoping it won't sideline him for long."
Calafiori and teammate Cristhian Mosquera accompany Hincapié in the medical bay, which may be clearing out soon for Arteta.
Defensive Reinforcements Waiting in the Wings for Arsenal
Before Arsenal's journey to the south coast, Arteta again confirmed that both Mosquera and Calafiori would be unavailable. "No, they remain sidelined," he acknowledged, before providing a more optimistic outlook.
"I believe, quite soon," he added, "they need to complete the final phase of rehabilitation. If all proceeds smoothly, hopefully in the near future, they'll be ready for team selection."
Whether "near future" includes Wednesday night in west London remains uncertain.
Mosquera's unavailability has been largely compensated by Gabriel Magalhães and William Saliba's return to fitness, with Saliba not even making the trip to Portsmouth. Nevertheless, Calafiori's absence has been more significantly felt.
The attacking fullback began the campaign impressively. After injuries pushed him below Lewis-Skelly in Arsenal's hierarchy by the previous season's end, Calafiori used the latter half of 2025 to demonstrate exactly why he commanded a £42 million ($56.5 million) fee. Given unprecedented freedom to operate across the field, the Italy international serves as the unpredictable element in Arteta's meticulously organized system.
Throughout Arsenal's initial 15 league matches this season, Calafiori recorded the squad's third-highest shot tally, producing more attempts (22) than the club's headline summer acquisition Viktor Gyökeres (20).
Despite Hincapié's solid defensive attributes, Arsenal have clearly lacked that element of structured unpredictability during the six matches without Calafiori. The Ecuador international highlighted his attacking limitations during the final moments of Arsenal's December win over Aston Villa when he disrupted a fast break by stumbling over the ball.
While having Hincapié available for the Chelsea match would be beneficial, Calafiori's comeback would be even more valuable.