Arsenal are facing great concerns about personnel when Gabriel Magalhaes suffered an injury in the Brazilian national team jersey.
The centre-back started in the friendly match against Senegal under the leadership of caretaker manager Carlo Ancelotti at the Emirates. With Brazil leading 2-0 thanks to goals from Estevao and Casemiro, Gabriel suddenly fell to the ground and had to take a break.
Images from the match showed Gabriel leaving the field with the Brazilian medical team. The Arsenal centre-back pulled his shirt up to his head and hugged his left foot, signaling to the coaching staff about his injury.
After the match, Ancelotti confirmed that Arsenal's centre-back had problems with his calf: "He needs to check more tomorrow. We are sorry and hope Gabriel will recover soon."
Arsenal's frustration comes not only from Gabriel's injury, but also from the way the Brazilian Football Confederation handles the situation. Many criticized that, with the presence of other quality central defenders such as Militao, Alexsandro or Marquinhos, Brazil could well withdraw Gabriel from the squad to avoid risks.
Instead, they still let the Arsenal defender play in a friendly match, making the risk of injury a reality and directly affecting the Premier League team.
This incident once again sparked controversy surrounding the club's relationship with the national team. Especially about the rights and responsibility in protecting the health of players.
In the context of a tense season and a tight schedule, managing physical condition and preventing injuries has become a vital issue for both the club and the national team.
Gabriel's injury is a big concern for coach Mikel Arteta. Arsenal are facing a lack of force ahead of the upcoming Premier League round. The "Gunners" will host Tottenham Hotspur in the North London derby at Emirates Stadium.
In addition to Gabriel, many other players are also leaving open the possibility of playing, including striker Viktor Gyokeres, winger Noni Madueke, Gabriel Martinelli and midfielder Martin Odegaard. full-back Riccardo Calafiori has also just returned from the Italian national team due to injury, making the situation even more difficult.
Gabriel is a mainstay in Arsenal's defense, contributing greatly to a streak of 7 consecutive clean sheets. This streak was broken after a 2-2 draw with Sunderland last weekend, when the opponent's late equalizer left Arsenal with only one point.
However, the "Gunners" are still leading the Premier League table with 26 points after 11 matches, 4 points ahead of Manchester City and far ahead of Liverpool, who are currently in 8th place with 18 points. Gabriel's injury will certainly be a big challenge ahead of the important derby against Tottenham.
After the draw with Sunderland, Arteta shared a frank assessment of Arsenal's performance.
" Obviously, the final feeling is disappointment and frustration, because we want to win all three points. We had to get through a really tough game. They played very well and we conceded a goal that was not within our ability.
However, I think the whole team responded well, showing a lot of personality and courage. We controlled the game, scored first and second, but still had difficulty when the opponent deployed six to seven players in the box.
It could be from a direct ball, a throw-in or any situation. We could have defended better, but today we didn't do that and conceded a goal," said the Spaniard.
Arteta's message highlights both Arsenal's efforts and weaknesses, and shows him to be aware of the need to improve defence ahead of the next matches.
