Arsenal defender Gabriel limped off and suffered a serious injury during Brazil’s friendly match against Senegal over the weekend. Goals from Estebao and Casemiro gave Brazil a two-goal lead in the game at the Emirates, with Gabriel forced to be substituted with a suspected muscle problem.
Mikel Arteta and his team are currently in suspense as they await word on the severity of the injury and how long key players will be out. This is a major setback for the Gunners, especially considering Gabriel missed the end of last season with a hamstring problem.
Here’s what we know so far about Gabriel’s injury.
The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) issued an updated statement on Gabriel’s condition on Sunday. They confirmed he had sustained an injury and would return to the club for further treatment, excluding him from the final international friendly.
“Arsenal’s Gabriel was re-examined this Sunday and imaging tests revealed a muscle injury in his right thigh. As a result, he will not be with the team for the game against Tunisia in Lille. There are no other players called up in his place.”
Arsenal worst case scenario
Gabriel’s national team statement confirmed Arsenal’s worst fears. Teammate Riccardo Calafioli’s withdrawal from Italy’s camp appears to have been precautionary, with no scheduled time-out, but now that the injury has been confirmed, Gabriel’s situation has escalated beyond mere fear.
His exact recovery timeline remains unknown and further testing is required to determine the extent of the problem. From Arsenal’s point of view, they will be hoping that the problem is as minor as possible, especially with the most important period of the season looming.
After the international break, Arteta’s side face tough games against Tottenham, Bayern Munich and Chelsea. Gabriel’s injury is a significant setback as the Arsenal manager needs to get his squad fit and ready for the match.
Manager Carlo Ancelotti’s apology
Arsenal will no doubt be furious about the situation, especially since the player was reportedly already on load management. Sky Sports confirmed that Gabriel, who left training limping on Saturday, warmed up separately from his teammates to reduce his workload.
So the fact that he suffered a muscular injury after 60 minutes should be a cause for concern.
In the post-match press conference, Brazil national team manager Carlo Ancelotti could only apologize for what happened.
“Is it bad? I don’t know. He had a problem with his adductor muscle. The medical staff will have to check it tomorrow,” he said. “It’s really disappointing, it’s really disappointing. When players are injured, I hope they recover quickly and well.”
