Gabriel's Injury Tests Arsenal's Backline Ahead of a Heavy Week

Gabriel's Injury Tests Arsenal's Backline

Arsenal enter a week of critical tests that could shape their season both at home and in Europe, but the mood is dampened by news that Brazilian defender Gabriel has sustained an injury at a sensitive moment, leaving Mikel Arteta with limited and tricky options in the back.

Over seven days they will face three heavyweight fixtures: the North London derby against Tottenham at the Emirates, a Champions League showdown with Bayern Munich featuring one of the world’s top finishers, and a trip to Stamford Bridge to meet Chelsea, a side Arteta once described as having the league’s best attack by a wide margin.

Amid these challenges, Arsenal have provided no official update on the length of Gabriel's absence after an adductor injury sustained while with Brazil.

Early reports talked of a one-to-two month layoff, but the most likely scenario would sideline him through the decisive period, a blow that will test Arsenal's defensive resolve.

A Blow to the Defense

No official statement has clarified the severity, but initial scans reportedly sparked fears of an eight-week absence, depriving Arsenal of one of their most steady and influential defenders.

The injury occurred in a Brazil friendly against Senegal, with Gabriel leaving the pitch limping; later it was confirmed as an adductor issue, a diagnosis that typically carries a slow recovery, especially for defenders.

That absence is a double blow: the defense that formed one of Arsenal’s strongest lines last season now loses its most trusted pillar during a week demanding maximum resilience.

Who will replace Gabriel?

Arteta knows the scale of the problem; this is not merely a missing starter but a captain in the back who reads the game well and has a strong understanding with French international William Saliba.

The Spaniard may be forced to pick among three options, each carrying some risk.

Piero Hinckapié is theoretically the closest fit, the Ecuadorian international who joined Arsenal on the last day of the window to cover Gabriel at left center-back.

In reality, the player has yet to start a league match; four of his five appearances have come as a left-back, with his only start coming in a Carabao Cup win over Brighton, a game where Arsenal faced a high number of shots and hits off the woodwork, an anomaly for Arteta's defense.

Christian Mosquera could be another option alongside Saliba, but selecting him against Spurs would be risky; he hasn’t started a league game since Newcastle, and his only other start with Saliba came for a cup win over a lower-tier side, a Cup encounter far from the intensity of a North London derby.

Arsene, sorry, Arteta may also move Ricardo Calafiori back to center-back, which would entail shifting another player to left-back — Hinckapié or Miles Lewis-Skeli — a move the Spaniard has long resisted, noting that changing two positions for one absence is not ideal but may be forced by circumstances.

A Week of No Room for Error

Arsenal’s first test comes on Sunday in the North London Derby against Tottenham, a match where small details often decide outcomes.

The Gabriel absence is not just a tactical issue; it could affect the team psychologically, as players have grown used to the Saliba-Gabriel partnership, making any heart-of-defense alteration especially risky.

Days later they host Bayern Munich in a clash where the Londoners seek historical revenge for past heavy defeats, this time with Bayern bringing Harry Kane, one of the most dangerous finishers Arsenal have faced in a decade.

Then the team heads west to Chelsea, who have shown a sharp attacking upturn that previously led Arteta to say that Chelsea’s attack was the best in the league by a wide margin.

Positive notes on the attacking front

Amid the defensive clouds, Arsenal received welcome news on the attacking front: captain Martin Ødegaard could return for the derby after progressing in his recovery from a knee ligament issue sustained against West Ham.

He stated in Norway that progress is good and that he hopes to return soon, and he even joined the Norway camp while awaiting a possible return to action for Arsenal.

Meanwhile, Arsenal could see several attackers back in the coming days, including Kai Havertz, Noni Madueke, Viktor Gyökeres, and Brazilian winger Gabriel Martinelli, giving the attack a strong boost ahead of the tough run of fixtures.

Alongside Gabriel’s injury, concerns remain about Calafiori’s heavy workload after a long stint with Italy, prompting the club to monitor his condition closely.

Punchlines: If Arsenal’s defense keeps leaking goals, Arteta might start charging the attackers rent for the extra space. And if the back four keep taking five-star reviews from the opposition, perhaps he should hire a locksmith for the goal area — because those gaps look like open doors.