Arsenal FC recently had to worry about their defensive ace Gabriel. Now it’s clear: the Brazilian is out—and not just for the upcoming Champions League clash against FC Bayern.
“Unfortunately, Gabi was injured while playing for the national team and will be out for several weeks,” Arsenal team manager Mikel Arteta confirmed on Friday, referring to the 27-year-old’s injury, which he sustained in his right thigh while playing for Brazil in their 2-0 win over Senegal at the Emirates Stadium. “This is obviously a bitter blow because he is our defensive leader, and something like this is never good news for me,” said Arteta, who will now have to do without his defensive leader not only in Wednesday’s Champions League clash with FC Bayern.
Gabriel’s absence is a big blow for the London club, as the center back has not missed a single minute of Premier League action so far this season, playing a key role in helping the Gunners become the league’s best defense with only five goals conceded, and is also an important factor in attack, especially from set pieces (one goal, two assists). Nevertheless, Arteta tried to draw positives from the whole situation. The good thing, he said, “is that we have very good alternatives – and the players now have to take responsibility and fulfill their duties.”
Arteta could not say exactly how long Gabriel would be out, as further tests were needed. “We have to go for another scan next Wednesday and then the timeline will probably be much clearer,” said the 43-year-old. Arsenal currently lead the Premier League by four points ahead of Manchester City, but now face tricky tasks ahead with the derby against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday (5:30 p.m.), the Champions League summit meeting against Bayern and the away game at Chelsea on Sunday (5:30 p.m.).
In addition to Gabriel, there have also been concerns about Riccardo Calafiori recently. The defensive specialist missed Italy’s 2-0 win in Moldova due to a hip injury and subsequently left the Squadra Azzurra’s training camp early. “He had some problems and hasn’t trained yet,” Arteta explained, but he hasn’t given up hope on the 23-year-old: “We have another training session tomorrow and we’ll see how he’s doing.”
The Spaniard also remained tight-lipped about Kai Havertz, Martin Ödegaard, Noni Madueke, Gabriel Martinelli, and Viktor Gyökeres, who have all been sidelined recently. “We’ve done a lot during the international break to get them fit again as quickly as possible. Tomorrow we’ll see how some of them are feeling and whether it’s still too early for this game or whether we think they can make a contribution. Then we’ll have more clarity.”
