da 888casino： Another international break is coming to an end, and Arsenal have yet more injuries to contend with.
da roleta： On the annoying but manageable side of things, Kai Havertz will be out for a little longer after Julian Nagelsmann confirmed he had suffered a minor relapse with his knee injury.
However, the far more worrying development is that, following initial scans, Gabriel Magalhães is set to miss at least a month of action due to the groin injury he picked up playing at the Emirates for Brazil.
Thankfully, Mikel Arteta has several defenders he can call on to replace him at the back, and just maybe, Arsenal also have another international star who could pick up the slack at set-pieces and become Nicolas Jover’s new go-to man.
Arsenal's potential Gabriel replacements
Now, it should really go without saying, but losing Gabriel is a massive blow for Arsenal, as not only is he an incredible player, but a real leader.
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With that said, unlike in seasons past, Arteta does have the defensive backup to help minimise the impact of his absence and a few ways to rearrange the backline.
One solution to the problem could be to move Riccardo Calafiori in from left-back and start either Myles Lewis-Skelly or Piero Hincapie on the left.
This is the approach the manager took in pre-season, while Gabriel was recovering from the injury that ended his campaign last season.
However, while the Italian is more than capable of doing this, it would mean taking away the license he’s had to roam wherever he pleases so far this season, which in turn would make the attack far more predictable and therefore less potent.
So, another solution could be to move Hincapie into the back two alongside Saliba.
However, while this could be a solution further into the season, the Ecuadorian is still somewhat of an unknown quantity, having played just 170 minutes for the club and started one game at centre-back.
Therefore, the best bet for Arteta would surely be starting Cristhian Mosquera.
The young Spaniard has already played 597 minutes for the team this season, almost entirely at centre-back, and was brilliant against Liverpool and then Nottingham Forest there.
In all, there are options to cover the defensive deficit Gabriel’s injury will bring, but there might also be a way to cover the attacking side of his game that’ll be missed.
Jover's new Gabriel
While Gabriel certainly has the ability to influence the attacking side of the game from open play, it’s no great secret that he is phenomenal when it comes to set-pieces.
Just this season alone, he has scored twice and provided three assists, which would be a great return for an attacker, let alone a centre-back.
Therefore, his absence from the team could seriously hinder Arsenal’s potency in dead-ball situations, unless Arteta starts using Mikel Merino more often. After all, he has been described as an “aerial duel monster” by Como scout Ben Mattinson.
While there are certainly other players who could chip in more from set-pieces like Saliba, Calafiori and maybe even Viktor Gyokeres when he’s fit again, it’s the Spaniard who could become Jover’s new star.
After all, while he’s certainly not the best player in the team, the former Real Sociedad star has proven beyond all reasonable doubt over the course of the year that he knows how to score a goal.
Appearances
44
16
Starts
29
9
Minutes
2635′
820′
Goals
9
3
Assists
5
1
For example, since the turn of the year, he has put the ball in the back of the net 19 times and provided seven assists for club and country, which is truly an incredible return and more than justifies Arsenal writer Adam Keys calling him “a magnet in the box.”
More than that, though, plenty of those goals have either been one-touch finishes or headers, which is generally how someone scores from a set-piece.
Now, this doesn’t mean Arteta has to start the 29-year-old game-changer in every match, but when the team are chasing a goal, this goalscoring ability should see him become one of the first names off the bench.
Ultimately, losing Gabriel is a huge blow, but with their defensive depth and the prospect of Merino becoming Jover’s new set-piece king, Arsenal should be alright.
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