Arsenal have been hit with two new injury concerns just days before the north London derby.
Ahead of Sunday’s clash with Tottenham at the Emirates, Mikel Arteta is anxiously waiting for updates on Gabriel Magalhaes and Riccardo Calafiori, with Viktor Gyokeres also a doubt.
Although some important players could return for the derby, losing Gabriel and Calafiori would be a major setback for the Premier League leaders, as both have been crucial in a defence that has allowed only five goals in 11 matches.
Arsenal also have a busy run of fixtures coming up, including Bayern Munich in the Champions League and then Chelsea after the Spurs match.
Here’s the latest on their injury situation:
Gabriel
Gabriel hobbled off during Brazil’s friendly win over Senegal at the Emirates on Saturday, raising serious concerns for Arsenal. He received treatment for a right-thigh issue before being substituted.
While Carlo Ancelotti originally believed it was an adductor problem, scans later revealed a muscle injury in his right knee.
The Brazilian FA confirmed the diagnosis on Sunday, and Gabriel has now returned to Arsenal for further assessment. Arteta is expected to provide more details during Friday’s press conference.
Potential return date: Unknown.
Riccardo Calafiori
Just hours before Gabriel’s injury, Riccardo Calafiori withdrew from the Italy squad due to a hip problem.
Despite being called up, he had been struggling physically, and Gennaro Gattuso hoped he might still be available for their World Cup qualifier against Norway.
However, Calafiori left the national team camp on Saturday and returned to Arsenal.
Gattuso said he “tried to make himself available but cannot push through the injury.”
Reports in Italy suggest Arsenal are not expecting the issue to be serious.
