Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed Gabriel Magalhães will be sidelined “for weeks” after picking up an injury during the November international break.
Gabriel looked to be in discomfort during Brazil’s 2–0 win against Senegal, ironically played at Emirates Stadium, before coming off in the second half. Initial reports suggested the Brazilian could miss up to two months as the Arsenal calendar heats up during the festive period, but supporters have been clinging on to hope that he could return sooner.
The Gunners are set to face Tottenham Hotspur in the north London derby this weekend, Bayern Munich in the Champions League and Chelsea the following the week, and Arteta confirmed all but confirmed Gabriel’s absence for those games as well as detailing when Arsenal should have a clearer picture regarding a potential return.
“Gabi unfortunately picked up an injury with the Brazil national team and he’s going to be out for weeks,” Arteta said in his Friday press conference. “We need to have another scan next Wednesday, and we’ll have the timeline probably much clearer than we have at the moment.
“It’s clearly a blow because he’s our leader in our backline and, to me, it’s never a positive thing.”
