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Arsenal's defender Gabriel is a significant doubt for the upcoming North London derby after scans revealed he has sustained a thigh injury, in what could be a boost to Liverpool and the rest of the chasing pack.
Gabriel limped off during Brazil's 2-0 victory at the Emirates on Saturday, appearing visibly distressed post-match. On Sunday, the Brazilian FA issued a statement confirming that he would not be joining the rest of the squad for their friendly against Tunisia in France on Tuesday.
The statement read: "Arsenal player Gabriel Magalhaes was re-evaluated this Sunday and underwent imaging tests that revealed a muscle injury in his right thigh. Consequently, the player will not travel with the team for the match against Tunisia in Lille. No other player will be called up to replace him."
This news confirms Arsenal's worst fears ahead of next Sunday's showdown with Tottenham at the Emirates. Gabriel has been a pivotal figure for Arsenal this season, contributing significantly in both defence and attack, and the Gunners will be concerned about the prospect of a lengthy absence.
Brazil's manager Carlo Ancelotti expressed regret over the injury to the 27 year old, stating: "Bad? I don't know, he had a problem on his adductor the medical staff have to check tomorrow.
"We are really sorry for this, really disappointed, when players have an injury I hope they can recover well and soon."
Riccardo Calafiori has returned to Arsenal from international duty with Italy, though his injury is not believed to be serious.
Italy head coach Gennaro Gattuso explained that whilst Calafiori could have potentially featured in their final World Cup qualifier, he was permitted to depart the camp early out of respect for his club.
He said: "Calafiori left the training camp. We tried Calafiori, he had a few issues. I thank him for his commitment: he stayed here for a week, he could have played perhaps, but it wouldn't have been fair to him or Arsenal."
The Gunners enter the north London derby sitting atop the Premier League table, four points clear of Manchester City.
However, Mikel Arteta's squad faces a challenging fixture schedule, with matches against Spurs, Bayern Munich and Chelsea all within a seven-day period.
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