Gabriel's injury risks angering Mikel Arteta after Brazil hint and telling Ancelotti admission

Arsenal defender Gabriel suffered an adductor injury in the second half of Brazil's friendly match against Senegal on Saturday

Arsenal face an anxious wait to determine the extent of the injury that forced defender Gabriel Magalhães off the pitch during Brazil's friendly against Senegal on Saturday.

Carlo Ancelotti’ s side scored twice in the first half at the Emirates Stadium, with Chelsea ’s Estevao and Manchester United midfielder Casemiro among the goals. However, Mikel Arteta will have been left concerned by the sight of one of his key centre-backs limping off in the 64th minute.

It appears the 27-year-old picked up the problem after sprinting back to defend against Nicolas Jackson. It marks another setback for Gabriel, who missed the final weeks of the 2024/25 season with a hamstring injury.

The most frustrating aspect for the Arsenal boss, however, is that Gabriel was already managing his workload due to the significant number of minutes he has played this season. During Sky Sports’ coverage of Brazil’s match in north London, it was revealed that the defender had warmed up separately from his teammates in an attempt to reduce the risk of injury, only to then pick up a muscular issue late in a friendly match.

Instead of offering reassurance that it was not a serious concern, Brazil boss Ancelotti instead issued an apology. “Bad?” Ancelotti replied when asked for an update on the situation by football.london. “I don’t know, he had a problem with 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.”

Gabriel has already played 17 games for Arsenal across all competitions this term, totalling over 1,300 minutes. His presence has been integral to the Gunners’ rise to the top of the Premier League table after 11 games, where they hold a four-point lead over nearest challengers Manchester City and an eight-point advantage over title holders Liverpool.

However, the last thing Arteta needs at such a crucial point in the season is mounting injury problems within the squad. The Gunners face a daunting run of fixtures after the international break, including the North London derby, a visit from Bayern Munich, and an away trip to Chelsea.

Arsenal have already suffered one defensive setback this week, with Riccardo Calafiori withdrawing from the Italy camp as he nurses a hip injury. That said, Arteta will be relieved that the 23-year-old was not risked in any matches, despite Italy’s tricky position in World Cup qualifying.

If Gabriel does face a spell on the sidelines over the coming weeks, Arteta will still have William Saliba to call upon. Summer signing Piero Hincapie has also worked his way back from early-season injury issues and has been available for the Gunners’ last three league matches, while fellow summer arrival Cristhian Mosquera is also an option.