Arsenal fear that defender Gabriel Magalhães might remain sidelined for a minimum of 30 days after sustaining a muscle problem while playing for Brazil last week.
Gabriel had to be substituted during Brazil's triumph against Senegal in a exhibition match at the Emirates Stadium on the weekend and has since returned to his team for more examinations.
Medical examinations are ongoing, and Arsenal have yet to disclose the exact duration of the 27-year-old layoff.
Nevertheless, he is not expected to play for the key North London derby on the weekend or the Champions League fixture with the German giants only three days.
Potential Absence and Key Matches
There are concerns that Gabriel could miss a minimum of four weeks, perhaps longer, depending on the nature of the strain.
This would keep him out of key vital fixtures, including:
- Domestic matches against the Blues and the Bees at the Emirates
- An road trip to play Aston Villa
- The Champions League match at Club Brugge on 10 December
The Arsenal team—who currently hold a significant advantage over Manchester City—afterwards meet Wolves at home before a rearranged trip to Everton on December 20th.
Significant Blow for The Title Bid
Being without Gabriel would be a major problem for the Gunners in their Premier League bid.
The defender has played every minute of the top-flight season so far and is integral to a backline that has conceded just five goals in 11 outings.
Prior to the recent tie at Sunderland, the team had recorded 8 straight clean sheets in every tournament.
Cover Options and Additional Fitness Concerns
Cristhian Mosquera and other new signing Piero Hincapié are in contention to replace Gabriel against Spurs.
There are also doubts over whether striker Gyökeres will recover to play up front after missing the club's last two fixtures before the international break due to a hamstring injury.
Meanwhile, German manager Nagelsmann said that Havertz has suffered a “minor relapse” during his comeback from a joint injury.
Although Mikel Arteta had been hopeful about the attacker's return this weekend, the national team boss indicated that the German is now expected to return towards the end of the year.
Squad Stretched to the Limit
Arsenal experienced their championship bid undermined last season by a series of fitness issues and spent heavily in the summer to reinforce the team.
But, with captain Martin Ødegaard additionally on the injured list—alongside Madueke and Martinelli—the team is being stretched to the limit.
