Arsenal fear that defender Gabriel Magalhães may be unavailable for no less than one month after sustaining a muscle strain while with the national team in the past few days.
Gabriel limped off during Brazil's triumph against Senegal in a exhibition match at the Emirates Stadium on the weekend and has since gone back to his club for further assessments.
Medical examinations are still underway, and the club have not yet announce the full duration of the 27-year-old layoff.
However, he is unlikely to be available for the upcoming clash with Tottenham on Sunday or the Champions League fixture with Bayern Munich just three days.
Potential Absence and Key Matches
Club sources worry that Gabriel could miss a minimum of four weeks, possibly more, depending on the nature of the injury.
That could see him miss of multiple vital fixtures, such as:
- Domestic matches against Chelsea and Brentford at home
- An away match to play Aston Villa
- The European match at Club Brugge on December 10th
Mikel Arteta's team—who presently hold a significant advantage over Manchester City—afterwards meet Wolverhampton at home before a rescheduled trip to Everton on December 20th.
Significant Blow for The Title Challenge
Being without such an influential player could prove a major setback for Arsenal in their title push.
The defender has featured in each minute of the top-flight season so far and is vital to a defense that has let in just five times in 11 outings.
Before the latest 2-2 draw at the Stadium of Light, the team had kept eight consecutive clean sheets in all competitions.
Replacement Options and Other Injury Concerns
Mosquera and fellow new signing Hincapié are likely candidates to fill in for the Brazilian against Tottenham.
Additionally, there are questions over whether forward Gyökeres will return to lead the line after sitting out the club's final two fixtures before the international break due to a hamstring injury.
In other news, German coach Julian Nagelsmann revealed that Havertz has suffered a “minor relapse” during his recovery from a knee injury.
While Mikel Arteta had been optimistic about the attacker's comeback soon, Nagelsmann indicated that Havertz is now expected to return in late December.
Team Stretched to the Limit
The club saw their championship bid hurt previously by a succession of injuries and spent heavily in the summer to strengthen the team.
But, with captain Martin Ødegaard additionally on the absentee list—alongside Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli—the squad is under strain to the limit.
