da pixbet： Arsenal are set to be minus an “underrated” star for their looming North London derby against Tottenham and far beyond that, following some injury news out of the Emirates Stadium.
da apostaganha： Mikel Arteta’s side host Spurs on Sunday in imperious form, but the manager is being made to sweat over several key players. The Gunners remain in pole position at the top of the Premier League table after a fantastic start to the campaign, which is made all the more impressive by the absences of numerous big-name attackers lately.
Arsenal currently sit top with eight wins, two draws and one loss from their opening 11 matches, boasting a phenomenal defensive record. They’ve conceded just five goals all season, the best of any team in Europe’s top five leagues, which has formed the backbone of their title challenge.
Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest
Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal
Arsenal 1-1 Man City
Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal
Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal
Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos
Arsenal 2-0 West Ham
Fulham 0-1 Arsenal
Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid
Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace
Arsenal 2-0 Brighton
Burnley 0-2 Arsenal
Slavia Prague 0-3 Arsenal
Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal
However, the international break has brought fresh concerns.
Left-back Riccardo Calafiori returned early from Italy duty due to hip pain, but encouragingly, Fabrizio Romano revealed that Arsenal’s medical checks confirmed that Calafiori will be available for the derby with no injury issues, just overload.
Calafiori has become an undisputed starter this term, chipping in with one goal and two assists from 11 games, even thwarting Myles Lewis-Skelly for a consistent place in the starting eleven.
Meanwhile, captain Martin Odegaard is continuing his recovery from a knee injury that has plagued him since October. The Norwegian, before his country’s 4-1 win over Italy, told TV2 that his recovery is progressing and he “will hopefully be back soon” — though it remains to be seen whether that could be against Tottenham.
His creativity has been sorely missed in Arsenal’s midfield, and elsewhere in the squad, Viktor Gyokeres has been struggling with a hamstring injury sustained at Burnley. He’s missed their last two matches against Slavia Prague and Sunderland, as a result, with Gyokeres believed to remain a doubt ahead of Spurs.
Noni Madueke is approaching a comeback after being sidelined for almost two months due to a knee problem, while Kai Havertz continues his recovery from knee surgery with a potential return on the cards “towards the end of the year”, according to Julian Nagelsmann.
Gabriel Martinelli is racing to be fit for this weekend, but the game comes too soon for his compatriot, Gabriel Jesus, who’s expected to be the last to return after his ACL injury at the start of 2025 (Simon Collings).
Amid this wave of Arsenal team news, it is another Gabriel who’s been making the headlines recently.
Indeed, star defender Gabriel Magalhaes, who’s been equally vital going forward as well as at the back, was taken off with a thigh problem during Brazil’s 2-0 friendly win over Senegal at the Emirates, and the early signs aren’t exactly cause for celebration.
Arsenal star Gabriel to miss "minimum four weeks" after thigh injury
According to journalist Sami Mokbel of The BBC, Gabriel could now miss a “minimum four weeks”, and some sources suggest that he could be out until January as the club wait for further scan results.
Gabriel has been the linchpin of Europe’s most water-tight defence, partnering both William Saliba and Cristhian Mosquera to devastating effect and making him irreplaceable in Arteta’s system.
The timing couldn’t be worse. Arsenal face a crucial run of fixtures beyond just Tottenham, with Bayern Munich in the Champions League and Chelsea awaiting them right afterwards.
Beyond defensive stability, Gabriel already boasts five goal involvements in all competitions this season, including a vital late winner away to Newcastle in September, highlighting his importance at both ends of the pitch. The 27-year-old gifts Arsenal a major outlet, and has been a significant part of their outstanding set piece record this season.
With Gabriel set to miss this weekend, Mosquera or Piero Hincapie will likely come in to replace him, with the summer signings now given a baptism of fire.