Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has eased concerns over Gabriel Magalhães after the defender was forced off during the 2-0 Champions League win over Olympiacos at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night.
Gabriel Martinelli opened the scoring early on before substitute Bukayo Saka fired home in stoppage time to secure a second straight group-stage victory for the Gunners.
Still, there were worries when Gabriel required treatment before being replaced by Cristhian Mosquera in the 75th minute.
With a Premier League clash against West Ham looming on Saturday, fears of an injury setback quickly grew, but Arteta insists that the change was precautionary.
‘I think he’s going to be okay,’ the Spaniard told reporters. ‘He felt something—I think it was a kick, I’m not sure—in the first half and was a bit uncomfortable. He could have carried on, but we didn’t want to take any risks. He’s played a lot of games, he’s come from a long-term injury, and we need to look after him.’
Gabriel featured in just 28 Premier League games last season, and Arsenal supporters will be desperate to see him declared fit ahead of Saturday’s London derby against West Ham.
Boost
The Brazilian has not only forged a commanding partnership with William Saliba at the back but has also been central to Arsenal’s threat from set pieces, contributing 14 goals since the beginning of the 2023/24 campaign. His absence at this point would represent a significant setback for Mikel Arteta’s title-chasing squad.
The Gunners return to league action at the Emirates Stadium at 3pm on Saturday, with Gabriel’s fitness to be closely assessed ahead of the clash.
Early indications appear positive, but Arteta will be keen to steer clear of further injury complications as his side continue their push on multiple fronts, so no risks will be taken.
Arsenal have taken four victories from their first six Premier League games (D1 L1) of the new season, with their only dropped points in that sequence coming against Liverpool and Manchester City.
However, the North London club have suffered back-to-back home defeats to West Ham, and Arteta will hope Gabriel is declared fit to prevent the Hammers from becoming only the second side — after Manchester City — to secure three consecutive wins at the Emirates Stadium.
