Injury Concerns for Arsenal Ahead of North London Derby
Arsenal faces a significant setback as key defender Gabriel Magalhães has been sidelined for several weeks due to injury. This news comes just before their much-anticipated clash against Tottenham in the north London derby.
The 27-year-old Brazilian, who has been a crucial part of the Gunners’ defense this season, suffered a thigh injury while representing his national team during a friendly against Senegal at the Emirates Stadium.
Manager Mikel Arteta confirmed that Gabriel will not participate in the derby against their fierce rivals this weekend and could be absent for an extended period. “Gabriel, unfortunately, picked up an injury with the Brazilian national team and he’s going to be out for weeks,” Arteta stated.
Arteta noted that further scans are planned for next Wednesday to assess the injury’s severity and provide a clearer recovery timeline. “We need to have another scan, and we’ll have the timeline probably much more clear than we have at the moment,” he added.
In light of Gabriel’s absence, Piero Hincapié and Cristhian Mosquera are both potential replacements for the match against Spurs.
Arteta expressed his disappointment over Gabriel’s injury, emphasizing the defender’s leadership role. “It’s clearly a blow because he’s our leader in our backline, and to me, it’s never a positive thing. The good thing is that we have very good options, and people have to stand up now and do the job,” he said.
A number of other players, including Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz, Noni Madueke, and captain Martin Ødegaard, have also been recovering from injuries, but Arteta remains hopeful for some positive updates before the weekend. “So tomorrow we have another training session to see how some of them are feeling, whether it’s a bit too close to bring him in this game or if we feel that they can contribute in the game,” he explained.
Meanwhile, winger Bukayo Saka is reportedly in discussions regarding a new contract, with his current deal running until 2027. “What I’m very aware of is that he wants to continue with us, that he’s very happy that he is in the place that he wants to continue to be and achieve everything that we want to achieve together,” Arteta shared.
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