Arsenal fear that Gabriel Magalhães could be sidelined for at least a month after sustaining a thigh injury while on international duty with Brazil. The 27-year-old defender limped off during Brazil’s 2-0 friendly victory over Senegal at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday and has since returned to the club for further tests. While Arsenal have not confirmed the severity, the defender is expected to miss crucial fixtures, including Sunday’s north London derby against Tottenham and the Champions League clash with Bayern Munich three days later.
Depending on the injury’s extent, Gabriel may also be absent for Premier League matches against Chelsea, Brentford, and Aston Villa, as well as the Champions League trip to Club Brugge on 10 December. The Gunners, who hold a four-point lead over Manchester City, then face Wolves before a rearranged visit to Everton on 20 December. Gabriel has been ever-present in the league this season, playing every minute of a campaign in which Arsenal have conceded just five goals in 11 games and kept eight consecutive clean sheets before last weekend’s draw at Sunderland.
Cristhian Mosquera and new signing Piero Hincapié are contenders to replace Gabriel against Spurs. Meanwhile, concerns persist over striker Viktor Gyökeres, who missed the last two matches before the international break with a hamstring injury and may not be fit to lead the line. Arsenal are also monitoring Kai Havertz, with Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann revealing a “minor relapse” in the forward’s recovery from a knee injury, though he is expected back towards the end of the year.
The injury crisis compounds Arsenal’s troubles, with captain Martin Ødegaard already absent, along with Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli. The club spent over £250 million on summer reinforcements after injuries undermined their title challenge last season, but the squad is now being stretched to its limits.
