Gabriel injury statement, Arsenal nightmare scenario and Carlo Ancelotti apology

Arsenal defender Gabriel limped off during Brazil's friendly against Senegal on Saturday with an apparent muscular injury

Arsenal were handed a significant injury concern over the weekend when defender Gabriel limped off with a suspected muscular problem during the second half of Brazil's friendly against Senegal.

It was familiar territory for the Brazilian, with the game staged at the Emirates, and Brazil were already two goals to the good when the second half kicked off thanks to efforts from Estevao and Casemiro. But, unfortunately for Gabriel, he was unable to complete the full 90 minutes, pulling up shortly after the hour mark.

Mikel Arteta and his backroom staff now face an anxious wait to learn the true extent of the injury and how long one of their key players might spend on the sidelines. The defender missed the end of last season with a hamstring issue, so this latest setback is a major blow ahead of such a crucial juncture in the current campaign.

Here’s a round-up of everything we know about Gabriel’s injury so far...

Brazil release statement

The Brazilian Football Federation (CBF) released a statement on Sunday providing an update on Gabriel’s condition. They confirmed he had sustained an injury and would return to his club for treatment, meaning he will play no part in their final friendly of the international break.

They said: “Arsenal player Gabriel was re-evaluated this Sunday and underwent imaging tests that revealed a muscle injury in his right thigh. Therefore, the player will not travel with the team to the match against Tunisia in Lille. No other player will be called up to replace him.”

Arsenal nightmare scenario

The statement from Gabriel’s national team confirms a nightmare scenario for Arsenal. While teammate Riccardo Calafiori ’s withdrawal from the Italy camp appears precautionary with no spell on the sidelines expected, Gabriel’s situation is no longer just a scare now that the injury has been confirmed.

His exact recovery timeline remains unknown, with further testing required to determine the extent of the problem. From Arsenal’s perspective, they will be hoping the issue is as minor as possible, especially with the most crucial period of the season right around the corner.

After the international break, Arteta’s side face a difficult run of fixtures against Tottenham, Bayern Munich and Chelsea. The Arsenal boss will need his squad fit and firing for those games, so any injury to Gabriel represents a major setback.

Carlo Ancelotti apology

It’s fair to say Arsenal will be seething about the situation, particularly with the player reportedly already undergoing load management. As he limped off on Saturday, Sky Sports confirmed that Gabriel had been warming up separately from his teammates in an attempt to reduce his workload.

So the fact he suffered a muscular injury beyond the 60th minute will be nothing short of infuriating. In his post-match press conference, Brazil boss Carlo Ancelotti could do little else but apologise for what unfolded.

“Bad? I don’t know, he had a problem on his adductor, the medical staff have to check tomorrow,” he said in a press conference. “We are really sorry for this, really disappointed, when players have an injury I hope they can recover well and soon.”