Credit: Imago

Evan Lloyd

Tue 10 March 2026 16:51, UK

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Piero Hincapie is available when Arsenal play the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie against Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday.

The Ecuador international is on loan from the German side, with the deal expected to be made permanent in the summer for a fee in the region of £45million.

Hincapie had endured a slow start to his career in the Premier League, but the last month has seen him emerge as a key figure.

Riccardo Calafiori’s consistent injuries have left the left-back role there to be taken, and the 24-year-old has grabbed it with both hands.

Should Arsenal win in Germany, they will likely rotate for the second leg at the Emirates Stadium next week amid several pressurised fixtures.

Why Piero Hincapie can play vs Bayer Leverkusen

Hincapie joined Leverkusen in 2021 from Argentine side CA Talleres and was immediately thrown into the starting line-up.

The seasons following saw the Ecuadorian feature as a left-back, a centre-back and even a left-midfielder as he continued to impress in the Bundesliga.

When Xabi Alonso’s team went the league season unbeaten in the 2023-24 season, Hincapie was prominent throughout, and he continued to be key last season as well.

Ex-Everton chief executive Keith Wyness exclusively told Football Insider last week that Arsenal are under pressure financially amid a huge summer of investment last year.

That is likely the reason that the deal to sign Hincapie was agreed as a loan, rather than a permanent signing, allowing the Gunners to lodge the signing under a different financial year.

Usually, a player on loan is blocked from playing against their parent club. The defender will be available on Wednesday, however, due to a difference in the UEFA rules that allows loan players to feature against their parent clubs.

Mikel Arteta will be grateful to have Hincapie

Rest has been hard to come by for Hincapie in recent weeks, with the defender even forced into the first half of Arsenal’s FA Cup win over Mansfield Town on Saturday.

Calafiori was forced off in the same game, but looks to have avoided injury after he was seen in training on Tuesday.

Myles Lewis-Skelly was suspended for the clash and has been unable to make an appearance since Arsenal played Wigan Athletic in February.

Hincapie’s durability and quality have grown into a vitality for the Gunners in recent weeks, and they will likely need it for the remainder of the season.