🔗 Share this article The Gunners' Key Defender Gabriel Could Be Out for a Minimum of 30 Days with Thigh Injury The North London club worry that center-back Gabriel Magalhães could be sidelined for at least one month after sustaining a thigh injury while on international duty last week. Gabriel was forced off during Brazil's 2-0 victory against Senegal in a friendly at the Emirates Stadium on the weekend and has since gone back to his team for further assessments. Club tests are continuing, and Arsenal have yet to confirm the full duration of the 27-year-old time out. However, he is not anticipated to feature for the key North London derby on the weekend or the European fixture with Bayern Munich just later. Potential Absence and Key Fixtures There are concerns that Gabriel could be out for at least four weeks, perhaps more, depending on the nature of the strain. That could keep him out of multiple important games, including: Premier League fixtures against the Blues and the Bees at the Emirates An road match to play Aston Villa The European match at Club Brugge on December 10th The Arsenal team—who presently have a four-point lead over City—then meet Wolverhampton at home before a rearranged fixture to Everton on December 20th. Significant Blow for Arsenal's Title Bid Being without such an influential player is a serious problem for the Gunners in their title bid. This defender has featured in all minutes of the top-flight season so far and is vital to a defense that has let in only five times in 11 outings. Before the recent tie at Sunderland, the side had kept eight consecutive shutouts in every tournament. Cover Options and Other Injury Worries Cristhian Mosquera and fellow new signing Hincapié are in the frame to replace Gabriel against Spurs. There are also concerns over whether forward Gyökeres will be back to play up front after missing the club's last two matches before the international break due to a muscle issue. Meanwhile, Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann stated that Kai Havertz has suffered a “minor relapse” during his recovery from a joint injury. Although Mikel Arteta had been optimistic about the player's comeback this weekend, Nagelsmann suggested that Havertz is now likely to return towards the end of the year. Squad Stretched to the Limit The club saw their championship push undermined previously by a series of fitness issues and spent heavily in the summer to strengthen the squad. However, with captain Ødegaard also on the absentee list—along with Madueke and Martinelli—the squad is being stretched significantly.