Following the international break, Arsenal supporters were concerned to hear of a Gabriel injury, sustained in a friendly against Senegal. With Gabriel joining Viktor Gyokeres on the sidelines, will the loss of two pivotal players affect Arsenal’s performances in upcoming matches?
Gabriel Injury: The Details
Where players often travel throughout the international break, the Gabriel injury actually occurred on the turf of the Emirates, the stadium hosting Brazil’s friendly against Senegal. Gabriel played a pivotal role in the 2-0 win. However, he was unable to last the full ninety minutes.
In the 64th minute, the defender embarked on a sprint to retrieve the ball. However, he was left limping, suffering a reported muscle injury in his thigh.
Initial reports indicate that the player may miss 1-2 months of action, potentially returning in mid-January. The Gabriel injury may therefore force him to miss the congested Christmas period.
In addition to this, the Gabriel injury may see the player miss some blockbuster matches across all competitions, including the North London Derby this weekend, as well as a Champions League tie against Bayern Munich.
Gabriel Injury: The Potential Replacements
With the high level of recruitment in the summer, Arsenal supporters will be hoping that this injury will not impact Arsenal’s performances, knowing that they have a plethora of available players to fill in following the Gabriel injury.
In previous transfer windows, Arsenal have strengthened highly in the defensive department, signing a host of players that may operate at full-back and in the middle of the back four.
Manager Mikel Arteta prides himself on the defensive solidity of his side, and will therefore be looking to ensure that the most viable option fills the hole left by Gabriel.
Although Christhian Mosquera has perhaps been the most impressive of Arsenal’s summer defensive recruits, the Spanish centre back predominantly operates as a right-sided centre half, indicating that Piero Hincapie is the most viable option to fill in.
However, manager Mikel Arteta does have other options, including asking Riccardo Calafiori to operate as a centre-back, allowing Myles Lewis-Skelly to fill in at full back.
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Arsenal’s Performances: Strong So Far, But How May This Affect Them?
In previous seasons, injuries to pivotal players may have drastically impacted Arsenal’s performances. However, due to summer recruitment, they now have the depth within the squad that they have been longing for to ensure that this is not the case.
Piero Hincapie started life at Arsenal with an injury, watching from the sidelines as Arsenal’s performances were strong each week, with an admirable defensive record. However, the player does have the necessary credentials to perform well, having been part of the Bayer Leverkusen team that were the first Bundesliga team to go an entire season unbeaten.
In addition to the loss of Gabriel, Arsenal have been operating without the likes of Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyokeres.
However, Mikel Arteta has also been able to find a suitable replacement in that regard to ensure Arsenal’s performances remain strong. Many fans will be aware that midfielder Mikel Merino has been operating up front, scoring goals frequently and adapting well to the new position.
Arsenal do have injuries in other key positions, including attacking midfield. However, they do have solutions in those positions, including Eberechi Eze, helping to fill the void left by Martin Odegaard and excelling in that aspect.
Conclusion
Although the Gabriel injury, amongst others, is a major blow for Arsenal, fans will be hoping that summer recruitment ensures that Arsenal’s performances do not suffer as a result.
With a high level of expenditure, availability and quality for Arsenal is now high. This means that for many fans, they are favourites to lift the Premier League title this season, and for Arsenal fans, they will be hoping that Arsenal’s performances remain strong in order to do so.
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / CTK Photo
Recording Date: 04.11.2025
