Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has confirmed centre-back Gabriel can be sidelined for “weeks” after selecting up an damage enjoying for Brazil.
The 27-year-old was pressured off in Brazil’s win over Senegal in the course of the worldwide break and Arteta has described Gabriel’s absence as a “blow”, with the defender set to overlook Sunday’s North London derby in opposition to Tottenham – stay on Sky Sports activities.
The conflict with Spurs is the primary of three crunch video games for Arsenal, who host German champions Bayern Munich on Wednesday within the Champions League earlier than travelling to Chelsea on November 30 – stay on Sky Sports activities.
Sunday twenty third November 4:00pm
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Arteta stated: “Gabi unfortunately picked up an injury with the national team. He will be out for weeks.
“We have to have one other scan subsequent Wednesday. We may have the timeline far more clearly than now we have in the meanwhile.
“It’s clearly a blow., It’s our leader in our backline. To miss him is never a positive thing. The good thing is we have some very good options. They need to stand up now.”
Who ought to substitute Gabriel at centre-back?
Sky Sports activities’ Sam Blitz:
It is a huge week for Arsenal and the damage to Gabriel is threatening to derail it.
Tottenham at dwelling – the largest recreation within the Arsenal fixture calendar. Bayern Munich at dwelling – the place they welcome arguably the perfect striker on this planet in Harry Kane. After which Chelsea away – who’ve “the best attack in the league by far” in line with Arteta earlier this yr. All within the area of seven days.
With the defender now set to be out for weeks, Arteta should discover a means round not having top-of-the-line defenders within the league for such an important interval.
Arsenal have a significantly better Premier League report with Gabriel beginning
One choice to switch him is Piero Hincapie, who was signed on Deadline Day to behave as cowl for Gabriel within the left centre-back position.
Nonetheless, he’s but to start out a Premier League recreation for the membership – and 4 out of his 5 Arsenal appearances have come at left-back. His solely begin got here within the Carabao Cup win over Brighton, a recreation which noticed Arsenal concede six pictures on course – which could be very not like them.
Another choice is Cristhian Mosquera, who may line up alongside William Saliba. Nonetheless, the 21-year-old has not began within the Premier League for the reason that win over Newcastle, which noticed him make a mistake for the Magpies’ opener and was hooked off at half-time.
The one recreation wherein he has began alongside Saliba got here at League One facet Port Vale. Spurs at dwelling on Sunday is a really completely different proposition.
Another choice is to play Riccardo Calafiori at centre-back, and usher in a left-back choice – both Hincapie or Myles Lewis-Skelly. However Arteta has spoken prior to now about not wanting to vary two positions when just one participant is injured.
Kolo Muani damage enhance for Tottenham forward of north London derby
In the meantime, Tottenham boss Thomas Frank has been given a serious enhance forward of Sunday’s journey to Arsenal with ahead Randal Kolo Muani accessible.
The Paris St Germain loanee suffered harm to his jaw in Spurs’ 2-2 draw with Manchester United on November 8 and subsequently missed worldwide responsibility with France.
He joined a prolonged damage checklist for Tottenham, however Frank offered optimistic updates on plenty of gamers and Kolo Muani can unexpectedly play after he was fitted with a protecting masks so as to practice this week.
“Pape (Sarr) trained today, ready and available. Lucas (Bergvall) trained today and is available. Kolo Muani, yes trained today, available – of course he has a mask he needs to play with,” Frank revealed.
Defenders Ben Davies and Kota Takai additionally returned to coaching this week and centre-back Radu Dragusin took half in a behind-closed-doors pleasant earlier this month to step up his restoration after he sustained anterior cruciate ligament harm in January.
Archie Grey is one other again and Mohammed Kudus, who missed worldwide responsibility with Ghana, has additionally returned to coaching in an additional enhance for Frank.
James Maddison, Yves Bissouma and Dejan Kulusevski stay sidelined together with Dominic Solanke, who has not featured since August 23 and had minor surgical procedure on his ankle final month.
Frank added: “Dom is not ready yet. We are very aware that when we put him out there, we want to be as sure as we can that there will be no setback going forward. I am comfortable he will soon be ready.”
