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Arsenal have been left sweating over the fitness of two key defenders following setbacks during the international break
Arsenal have been handed a timely injury boost amid concern over Gabriel Magalhães' fitness after he was forced off with a muscular issue during Brazil’s friendly win over Senegal on Saturday.
The Gunners face a crucial run of fixtures after the international break as Mikel Arteta looks to strengthen their position at the top of the Premier League table. They sit four points clear of Manchester City after 11 games, and eight ahead of current title holders Liverpool.
However, a tricky run of matches in the coming weeks means Arsenal cannot afford to lose any small margins. They face bitter rivals Tottenham next weekend, followed by a Champions League clash with Bayern Munich and a league meeting with Chelsea the week after.
The international break has been far from kind to the Gunners, as Riccardo Calafiori withdrew from the Italy camp ahead of their World Cup qualifier against Norway. The defender did not feature in the win over Moldova and had been training separately while nursing a reported hip injury, but was not passed fit in time for Sunday’s game and returned to the club.
On Saturday, Gabriel was in action for Brazil in their 2-0 win over Senegal at the Emirates Stadium. Despite warming up separately as part of load management, it wasn’t enough to prevent injury, as he pulled up with a muscular problem while defending a transition in the second half.
Now, Arteta and his staff must hope it is not a serious issue for the Brazilian. Carlo Ancelotti confirmed post-match that it is an adductor injury, meaning his time on the sidelines could range from a week to several, depending on the severity.
This is why the latest update on Calafiori will be welcome news for Arteta, who was initially facing the prospect of lining up against Tottenham next week without two of his starting defenders. According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal expect Calafiori to be available from next week despite his early withdrawal from the Italy camp.
Calafiori has started every one of Arsenal’s league fixtures so far this season and has established himself as a key figure after navigating an injury-plagued first campaign last year. The fact his latest concern is only minor and reportedly will not require any time on the sidelines is crucial for the manager.
Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli, Viktor Gyokeres and Noni Madueke make up the remainder of Arsenal’s injury list, although Arteta will hope to welcome some players back in the weeks following the international break.
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