The Gunners' Key Defender Gabriel Faces a Minimum of Four Weeks with Thigh Injury
The North London club worry that center-back Gabriel Magalhães may be unavailable for at least one month after suffering a thigh strain 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 exhibition match at the North London venue on the weekend and has since returned to his club for additional tests.
Medical examinations are continuing, and the club have not yet confirm the exact extent of the 27-year-old layoff.
Nevertheless, he is not anticipated to feature for the upcoming North London derby on the weekend or the European fixture with Bayern Munich just three days.
Potential Layoff and Key Fixtures
Club sources worry that the defender could miss at least four weeks, perhaps more, depending on the severity of the injury.
That could see him miss of several important games, including:
- Domestic fixtures against Chelsea and Brentford at the Emirates
- An road match to play Villa
- The Champions League clash at Brugge on December 10th
The Arsenal side—that currently have a four-point lead over Manchester City—then face Wolves at the Emirates before a rescheduled trip to Goodison Park on December 20th.
Significant Setback for Arsenal's Title Bid
Being without such an influential player is a major problem for the Gunners in their title challenge.
This defender has played every minute of the Premier League campaign so far and is crucial to a defense that has let in just five goals in 11 matches.
Before the recent 2-2 draw at the Stadium of Light, the team had kept eight consecutive clean sheets in every tournament.
Replacement Choices and Additional Injury Worries
Cristhian Mosquera and fellow new signing Hincapié are in contention to replace the Brazilian against Spurs.
There are also doubts over whether forward Viktor Gyökeres will be back to lead the line after sitting out the club's final two fixtures before the pause due to a muscle issue.
Meanwhile, Germany coach Nagelsmann said that Havertz has experienced a “slight setback” during his recovery from a joint problem.
Although Mikel Arteta had been optimistic about the player's return soon, the national team boss indicated that the German is now expected to return in late December.
Squad Stretched to the Limit
The club experienced their title push undermined last season by a succession of injuries and spent significantly in the summer to reinforce the team.
But, with captain Martin Ødegaard also on the absentee list—alongside Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli—the squad is being stretched significantly.
