Alan Shearer has warned that Gabriel Magalhaes' injury will be a 'tough to take' blow for Arsenal ahead of Sunday's North London Derby. The 27-year-old defender sustained a muscle injury while representing Brazil during the international break and is expected to be sidelined for at least a month.
Gabriel pulled up while sprinting in the 64th minute of Brazil's 2-0 victory over Senegal at the Emirates Stadium. His absence could see him miss up to seven matches, including the clash with Tottenham and a Champions League fixture against Bayern Munich.
Despite Arsenal having squad depth, Shearer emphasised Gabriel's importance. 'Gabriel is a top defender and I don't care who comes in, it will be tough to take,' he told Betfair. 'Defensively he's rock solid and has played a huge part in what Arsenal are doing, especially from set-pieces.'
Piero Hincapie is expected to partner William Saliba in Gabriel's absence, with Cristian Mosquera, Riccardo Calafiori, and Ben White also potential options. Shearer added: 'Although Arsenal have a good replacement, they're losing probably the best centre-half in the Premier League.'
Looking ahead to the derby, Shearer called it 'a great game to watch' between two huge clubs. Arsenal lead the table, four points ahead of Manchester City, while Tottenham sit fifth, eight points behind.
