Mikel Arteta is the manager of Arsenal
Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Arsenal defender Gabriel will be unavailable for “weeks” after sustaining a thigh injury on international duty.
The defender limped off during last weekend’s friendly against Senegal at the Emirates Stadium and missed the subsequent match against Tunisia.
His injury now presents a significant setback for a team sitting four points clear at the top of the Premier League.
Gabriel to sit out for an extended period
Gabriel, 27, has been central to Arsenal’s outstanding defensive record this season, with the Gunners conceding just five league goals in 11 matches. However, his injury during the international break will be a major reason for concern for Arteta.
The manager confirmed further tests will take place next Wednesday, though early indications suggest a worrying layoff.
“Gabi is going to be out for weeks,” said Arteta. “It’s clearly a blow because he’s our leader in our backline, and to me, it’s never a positive thing. The good thing is that we have very good options, and people have to stand up now and do the job.”
Reports via The Athletic indicate fears that the Brazilian could miss up to two months, ruling him out for the rest of 2025 and potentially all the way into mid-January. A best-case scenario would see him return after a month, possibly just before Christmas.
Hincapie and Mosquera in line to step up
With Gabriel unavailable for Sunday’s north London derby, Arteta will turn to deputies Piero Hincapie and Cristhian Mosquera. Both defenders are under consideration for the crucial clash at the Emirates Stadium, a fixture that could have early implications for the Premier League title race.
Riccardo Calafiori is also a doubt after withdrawing from Italy duty with a hip issue. The defender has not trained since returning to England, though Arteta confirmed he will be evaluated in Saturday’s final session.
“He has been carrying a few things,” said Arteta. “He hasn’t trained yet. Tomorrow we have another training session, let’s see how he is.”
Before the international break, Arteta was already without Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz, Viktor Gyokeres, Noni Madueke and Gabriel Jesus.
Arteta has hinted that several of those could return soon, but timing remains uncertain. Odegaard is expected back in early December, while Jesus is on track to return in January following ACL recovery.
