Arsenal, has lost a major defensive player, Gabriel Magalhaes. Chelsea vs Arsenal derby took place at Stamford Bridge this weekend and ended with a 1-1 draw. The game was very heated. But, after the match, Arsenal‘s coach Mikel Arteta revealed the worst news of his defenders.
Gabriel Magalhaes
Gabriel Magalhaes rose through the youth ranks of Brazilian club Avaí FC. Then he moved to Europe and joined Lille OSC in France. After loan spells at Troyes AC and Dinamo Zagreb, he earned a big-move to Arsenal FC in 2020. He is known for his power and aerial strength. Gabriel quickly became a defensive pillar for the Gunners and scored on his debut. The Brazilian formed a strong centre-back partnership with William Saliba that helped Arsenal challenge at the top. In 2025 he extended his contract through 2029. He has strengthened his status as one of the most important defenders in Europe.
Gabriel Magalhaes Injury
On the contrary, no player or team could have performed better on matchday, and definitely not Gabriel Magalhaes who was not even able. He is recovering from a muscle injury in his thigh. The defender was injured while he was on international duty for Brazil last month.
Mikel Arteta Update
However, Arteta still went on to say that Magalhaes is a long way from the pitch.
The Arsenal leader did not hesitate to say, “We still have a couple of weeks with Gabi.” So, it is pretty much a confirmation that the North London side will be without one of their key central defenders for a few weeks. The medical staff is predicting that Gabriel will be able to return to them either in the last week of December or the first week of January. In such a case, he will not be allowed to appear in any games that will be played this year.
Furthermore, to add more salt to the injury, William Saliba, the centre-back partner of Gabriel, was also not able to attend the match against Chelsea due to an injury he sustained during training. Arteta revealed that Saliba is going to undergo more medical examinations to get the precise location of the injury and to find out its severity.
Without the Help of the Two Defenders
As a result of these unfortunate events, the club from London had to rely on a temporary centre-back duo of Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapié to fill in for the missing players. They did as well as they could under the not very favorable circumstances; however, the defense was still exposed – mostly during set-pieces. One of the reasons why Chelsea was able to score from a corner was that particular area of the weakness.
Arteta claimed that their two main defenders’ absence had led to them serious problems and that they had even difficulty recognizing them. He indicated that it would be a “headache” if he were in charge of the defence without them and especially with the tight schedule coming up.
Arsenal’s Defense
Contrary to that, there is certainly some cause for hope. The defensive substitutes of Arsenal will need to work twice as hard. Mosquera and Hincapié might have more time on the field. However, both the club and the fans will be looking forward to the speedy recovery of Gabriel. They will be hoping for good news from Saliba’s scans as well.
Author’s Insight
After the 1-1 draw against Chelsea, Arteta revealed that Gabriel’s thigh injury is still a matter that needs to be dealt. He said that he is out for some weeks. On the other hand, Saliba is also awaiting the results of his tests. This will determine the duration of his absence from the field. Currently, the Gunners are faced with the double task of supporting their defensive backbone in the forthcoming games. They will have to trust the stand-in defenders to handle the task.
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