The Gunners' Crucial Center-Back Gabriel Sidelined for no Less than Four Weeks with Thigh Strain
The North London club are concerned that center-back Gabriel Magalhães could be unavailable for at least four weeks after suffering a muscle strain while playing for Brazil in the past few days.
Gabriel was forced off during Brazil's 2-0 victory against Senegal in a friendly at the North London venue on the weekend and has since gone back to his club for more tests.
Club tests are ongoing, and Arsenal have yet to confirm the full duration of the 27-year-old time out.
Nevertheless, he is unlikely to feature for the key clash with Tottenham on Sunday or the European match with Bayern Munich only afterwards.
Possible Layoff and Missed Fixtures
It is feared that the defender could miss at least one month, perhaps more, based on the severity of the strain.
That could keep him out of key important games, like:
- Premier League fixtures against Chelsea and the Bees at the Emirates
- An away trip to face Aston Villa
- The European match at Club Brugge on December 10th
Mikel Arteta's team—that currently hold a significant advantage over City—then face Wolves at the Emirates before a rescheduled trip to Everton on December 20th.
Significant Setback for Arsenal's Title Challenge
Losing such an influential player would be a major blow for Arsenal in their title push.
This center-back has played every minute of the top-flight campaign so far and is vital to a defense that has conceded only five goals in 11 matches.
Prior to the recent tie at the Stadium of Light, the side had recorded 8 consecutive clean sheets in every tournament.
Replacement Choices and Additional Fitness Worries
Cristhian Mosquera and other new signing Hincapié are in the frame to replace Gabriel against Spurs.
Additionally, there are doubts over whether striker Viktor Gyökeres will recover to lead the line after missing Arsenal's last two fixtures before the pause due to a hamstring issue.
In other news, German coach Nagelsmann said that Kai Havertz has experienced a “minor relapse” during his recovery from a joint problem.
Although Arteta had been hopeful about the attacker's return this weekend, Nagelsmann suggested that Havertz is now likely to be back towards the end of the year.
Team Stretched to the Limit
The club experienced their championship push hurt last season by a succession of fitness issues and spent heavily in the summer to strengthen the team.
But, with skipper Ødegaard also on the injured list—alongside Madueke and Martinelli—the squad is under strain to the limit.
