Arsenal defender Gabriel was sent off with 20 minutes remaining in the FA Cup defeat to Southampton as Mikel Arteta issued a worrying update about his centre-half.
Gabriel came off the bench in Arsenal’s loss to Southampton due to injury concerns.
Manager Mikel Arteta revealed that Gabriel was in trouble and asked to be sent off during Arsenal’s defeat to Southampton, admitting it was “not good news at all”.
The Gunners suffered an FA Cup shock defeat on the south coast, but to add insult to injury, they are currently working hard on the fitness of one of their key players.
Gabriel started as the center of defence, but came on as a substitute in the 72nd minute and was replaced by William Saliba. Arteta revealed that Arsenal needed to assess his fitness, but did not appear to be positive about his prospects, and the change was not tactical as the Brazilian centre-half had asked to be sent off.
“I don’t know, but I think he felt something. I don’t know exactly what it is. We have to assess him, but obviously when a player wants to be replaced, that’s never good news,” Arteta said.
Gabriel started the night without his usual partner Saliba, instead being paired with Cristian Mosquera. There was no stopping Southampton from taking the lead against St Mary’s and Gabriel left the pitch when Shay Charles scored the winning goal with five minutes remaining.
read more: Mikel Arteta issues immediate demands to Arsenal after shock FA Cup defeat to Southamptonread more: Arsenal fan Piers Morgan left with egg on face after Southampton reminded of reaction
It will be their second cup game to overtake Arsenal in less than two weeks. They lost the Carabao Cup final at Wembley to rivals Manchester City, and despite a draw with the Championship side, their FA Cup hopes ended.
One of the team’s top performers this season, Gabriel’s injury will be a huge blow as the season draws to a close. Arsenal are looking to bounce back from several setbacks and push into the title race, where they hold a nine-point lead over City.
Arsenal’s season suffers another blow after being eliminated from the FA Cup
They still have to face Josep Guardiola’s side at the Etihad, but that will take place in two weeks. They are also in contention to qualify for the Champions League and will face Sporting Lisbon in the last eight, ahead of a semi-final against either Barcelona or Atlético Madrid.
Arteta has further stepped up his and his team’s methods to get back on track. “It’s about giving (the players) clarity, giving them more confidence, trusting the players – believing in what they’re doing and continuing to do it with the little tricks that every match requires. But especially keeping the spirit, attitude and energy at the best possible level because that’s important to perform at the level required to win matches,” he said.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive Mirror Football content every day. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can always check out. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
