Gabriel Magalhães is expected to be out for at least a month with a muscular injury, with Alan Shearer warning Arsenal they will be without the Premier League’s best centre-half.
Manager Alan Shearer has warned that Gabriel Magalhães’ injury will be a “tough” blow for Arsenal ahead of Sunday’s north London derby. The Gunners are bracing for the 27-year-old to miss the game against Tottenham after sustaining a muscular injury while representing Brazil during the international break.
Gabriel appeared to pull himself up while sprinting in the 64th minute of Brazil’s 2-0 win over Senegal at the Emirates Stadium last Saturday. Gabriel is likely to be sidelined for at least a month, suggesting manager Mikel Arteta faces a selection dilemma amid a busy fixture list.
If Gabriel is out until mid-December, he will miss at least seven games, including the showdown with Tottenham and next Wednesday’s high-profile Champions League match at home to Bayern Munich. Despite the talent and depth in Arteta’s side, his absence could be a major setback for the Gunners.
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Piero Hincapie is expected to take his place alongside William Saliba, but Cristian Mosquera is another possibility, with Riccardo Calafioli and Ben White both potentially filling the position.
Despite Arteta having options to replace Gabriel’s absence, Shearer expects the Gunners will feel his loss more than expected given his defensive solidity and set-piece threat.
Shearer told Betfair: “The news of Gabriel’s injury is not good news for Arsenal fans, but they have the depth in the squad to come in. They have other options and it’s not like they have the bare minimum at Arsenal. In terms of size and quality, they have the biggest squad they’ve had in a while.”
“Gabriel is a top defender and he doesn’t care who comes in. He will be difficult to crack. Arsenal have good players, but not many of Gabriel’s players. That’s why he is valued because of his excellence.”
“Defensively he is rock-solid and plays a big role in Arsenal’s performance, but from set-pieces he is definitely a big cog for them in terms of scoring goals, making it very difficult for the defenders as well. We know how good Arsenal are at set-pieces and he plays a big part in that.
“Arsenal have good players who could come in to replace him, but we lose probably the best centre-half in the Premier League.”
Looking ahead to the North London derby itself, Shearer is eagerly anticipating a showdown between “two huge clubs”. The Gunners are currently top of the table and head into this weekend’s game with a four-point advantage over second-placed Manchester City, while Spurs are languishing in fifth place, eight points behind them.
Mr Shearer said: “The North London derby is a great game to watch with a good atmosphere between two huge clubs.”
“Arsenal and Spurs fans will say it’s the biggest and best thing, and I understand that. Newcastle and Sunderland will say it’s theirs, Liverpool and Everton will say it, Celtic and Rangers fans will too.”
“It’s a great match and I love watching it. It always seems to give something back to the viewers so I’m looking forward to it. It should be a good match.”
