Arsenal fear that center-back Gabriel Magalhães may be unavailable for a minimum of 30 days after sustaining a thigh problem while playing for Brazil recently.
Gabriel limped off during the Seleção's triumph against Senegal in a exhibition match at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday and has since returned to his team for additional assessments.
Club assessments are ongoing, and the club have not yet confirm the exact duration of the 27-year-old absence.
Nevertheless, he is unlikely to be available for the key North London derby on the weekend or the Champions League fixture with Bayern Munich just three days.
Possible Absence and Missed Fixtures
There are concerns that Gabriel could miss at least four weeks, possibly longer, depending on the extent of the strain.
That could rule him out of several vital games, like:
- Domestic fixtures against the Blues and Brentford at the Emirates
- An road match to face Aston Villa
- The Champions League match at Brugge on 10 December
The Arsenal team—who presently have a significant lead over City—then face Wolves at home before a rearranged fixture to Everton on December 20th.
Major Blow for The Championship Bid
Being without Gabriel is a significant setback for the Gunners in their title challenge.
This defender has featured in all minutes of the Premier League campaign so far and is vital to a backline that has conceded only five times in 11 games.
Before the latest 2-2 draw at the Stadium of Light, the side had kept 8 consecutive shutouts in every tournament.
Replacement Choices and Other Injury Concerns
Cristhian Mosquera and fellow new signing Piero Hincapié are in the frame to replace the Brazilian against Spurs.
There are also concerns over whether forward Viktor Gyökeres will return to play up front after missing Arsenal's last two matches before the pause due to a hamstring injury.
In other news, Germany manager Nagelsmann stated that Kai Havertz has suffered a “minor relapse” during his comeback from a joint injury.
While Arteta had been hopeful about the attacker's comeback soon, the national team boss indicated that Havertz is now expected to return in late December.
Squad Stretched to the Maximum
Arsenal saw their title push hurt previously by a series of injuries and spent significantly in the summer to reinforce the team.
However, with skipper Martin Ødegaard additionally on the absentee list—alongside Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli—the team is under strain considerably.
