Mikel Arteta is unsure if Arsenal defender Gabriel will be fit for Saturday’s Premier League London derby against West Ham.
The Brazilian centre-back was forced off late in Tuesday night’s 5-1 Champions League victory over Sporting CP in Portugal after complaining of an issue.
Gabriel was replaced by Jakub Kiwior with six minutes to go after Arteta had initially been planning to send on Raheem Sterling before having to change his plans.
Speaking after the game in Lisbon, Arteta said: “We don’t know [if he is okay], because he said that he was feeling some discomfort.
Uncertainty: It remains to be seen if Arsenal defender Gabriel will be fit to face West Ham
REUTERS
“I was about to make the change of Raz (Sterling), poor thing, but I couldn’t make the sub - and we had to get him (Gabriel) out.”
Arsenal are next in action when they travel to West Ham on Saturday evening and Arteta was coy when asked for a new update on Gabriel on Friday morning.
“Wait and see,” he said of the defender’s chances of playing at the London Stadium.
Quizzed on Arsenal’s other team news, Arteta said: “Not a lot because we have another training session. We have to see how the boys are. A few weren’t able to train.”
Arteta did not expand on the Arsenal players unable to train on Thursday, with defenders Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu their only confirmed injury absentees at present after Kieran Tierney returned to the matchday squad after five months out in Lisbon.
More to follow