Arsenal's Key Center-Back Gabriel Sidelined for at Least Four Weeks with Muscle Strain
The North London club worry that defender Gabriel Magalhães may be unavailable for no less than 30 days after sustaining a thigh injury while on international duty in the past few days.
The Brazilian defender limped off during the Seleção's 2-0 victory against Senegal in a friendly at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday and has since returned to his club for more assessments.
Medical examinations are continuing, and Arsenal have not yet announce the exact duration of the defender's layoff.
However, he is not anticipated to feature for the key clash with Tottenham on the weekend or the Champions League meeting with Bayern Munich only three days.
Possible Layoff and Missed Matches
Club sources worry that the defender could be out for a minimum of four weeks, perhaps more, based on the nature of the issue.
This would see him miss of multiple important matches, like:
- Domestic matches against Chelsea and the Bees at home
- An road match to play Aston Villa
- The European clash at Brugge on December 10th
The Arsenal team—who presently have a four-point lead over City—then meet Wolves at home before a rearranged trip to Goodison Park on December 20th.
Significant Setback for The Title Challenge
Losing Gabriel could prove a significant blow for the Gunners in their Premier League challenge.
The defender has played all minutes of the Premier League season so far and is vital to a backline that has conceded just five times in 11 games.
Prior to the recent tie at Sunderland, the team had recorded 8 straight clean sheets in every tournament.
Replacement Choices and Additional Injury Concerns
Mosquera and fellow new signing Piero Hincapié are likely candidates to replace the Brazilian against Tottenham.
Additionally, there are concerns over whether striker Viktor Gyökeres will recover to lead the line after missing Arsenal's last two matches before the pause due to a muscle injury.
Meanwhile, German manager Nagelsmann said that Havertz has suffered a “minor relapse” during his comeback from a knee injury.
Although Arteta had been optimistic about the player's return this weekend, Nagelsmann indicated that the German is now likely to be back in late December.
Squad Stretched to the Limit
The club saw their championship push undermined last season by a succession of fitness issues and spent heavily in the summer to strengthen the team.
But, with skipper Ødegaard additionally on the absentee list—along with Noni Madueke and Martinelli—the team is under strain considerably.
