Arsenal are concerned that defender Gabriel Magalhães may be sidelined for at least 30 days after sustaining a muscle problem while playing for Brazil in the past few days.
Gabriel was forced off during the Seleção's win against Senegal in a friendly at the North London venue on Saturday and has since returned to his club for further assessments.
Medical assessments are still underway, and Arsenal have not yet confirm the exact duration of the 27-year-old time out.
However, he is not expected to play for the upcoming clash with Tottenham on the weekend or the Champions League fixture with the German giants just later.
Possible Layoff and Missed Fixtures
There are concerns that the defender could be out for a minimum of four weeks, possibly longer, based on the nature of the issue.
This would keep him out of several crucial fixtures, like:
- Premier League matches against the Blues and the Bees at home
- An road match to face Villa
- The Champions League clash at Brugge on 10 December
Mikel Arteta's team—who presently hold a four-point lead over City—then face Wolves at the Emirates before a rearranged trip to Goodison Park on 20 December.
Significant Blow for The Title Challenge
Losing such an influential player could prove a significant problem for Arsenal in their Premier League push.
This defender has played every minute of the Premier League season so far and is crucial to a backline that has conceded just five times in 11 games.
Before the recent tie at the Stadium of Light, the team had kept 8 straight clean sheets in every tournament.
Replacement Options and Additional Injury Concerns
Cristhian Mosquera and fellow new signing Piero Hincapié are likely candidates to fill in for 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 hamstring injury.
In other news, Germany coach Nagelsmann revealed that Kai Havertz has suffered a “minor relapse” during his recovery from a joint problem.
Although Mikel Arteta had been hopeful about the attacker's comeback this weekend, Nagelsmann suggested that Havertz is now likely to be back in late December.
Squad Tested to the Maximum
Arsenal experienced their championship push hurt last season by a series of injuries and invested heavily in the summer to reinforce the squad.
But, with skipper Martin Ødegaard additionally on the absentee list—along with Noni Madueke and Martinelli—the squad is being stretched considerably.
