Arsenal fear defender Gabriel Magalhães could miss a minimum of one month after suffering a thigh injury on international duty with Brazil, dealing a major blow to the Premier League leaders.
The 27-year-old limped off during Brazil’s 2-0 win over Senegal at the Emirates Stadium last Saturday. He has since undergone tests at Arsenal, where scans confirmed a muscle injury in his right thigh. Further assessments are ongoing, but Gabriel is already ruled out of Sunday’s north London derby against Tottenham and the Champions League clash with Bayern Munich.
Depending on the severity, Gabriel may miss crucial fixtures, including Premier League matches against Chelsea, Brentford, and Aston Villa, as well as the Champions League trip to Club Brugge on 10 December. Arsenal then face Wolves and a rearranged trip to Everton before Christmas.
Gabriel’s absence is significant: he has played every minute of Arsenal’s league season so far and is central to a defence that has conceded only five goals in 11 games while keeping eight straight clean sheets before the 2-2 draw at Sunderland. New signings Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapié are candidates to step in against Spurs.
Arsenal’s injury list is growing. Viktor Gyökeres remains doubtful with a hamstring issue, while Martin Ødegaard, Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli are also sidelined. Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann added that Kai Havertz has suffered a “minor relapse” in his knee recovery, pushing his return closer to the end of the year.
With Arsenal four points clear of Manchester City, the injuries arrive at a challenging moment in their title push.
