Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has offered up an injury update on Gabriel Magalhaes - with the defender absent from the matchday squad to face Manchester United. The Brazil international, while also scoring twice, has been subbed off early in the Gunners' last two games because of injury problems.
In the later stages of the Champions League triumph over Sporting CP, Gabriel came off with an issue, but started the Premier League match against West Ham just a few days later. In the first half, he scored and won a penalty for his side before coming off at half-time with a recurrence of that injury.
With major doubt surrounding his availability, along with Mikel Merino and Thomas Partey, Arteta gave nothing away in his team news update. "We're gonna have a meeting this afternoon. We have done a training session. We monitored and kept some players away from certain activities," he said on Tuesday.
"After that meeting I will decide which ones are fit and available and who will start." With Gabriel not included in their squad to face United, it's seemingly clear what the outcome of that meeting was. Merino has also remained absent with Riccardo Calafiori also unavailable, but Partey has returned.
Ahead of the game, Arteta was asked about Gabriel with his answer perhaps suggesting that it may not be a long-term absence. Speaking to Amazon Prime, he said: "This is the season... We play every three days. It is impossible to maintain and keep everybody fit.
"We have lost Gabi and Riccy so to have any consistency in the back-line is tricky, but it is an opportunity for another player to step up." Replacing the defensive duo is Jakub Kiwior and Oleksandr Zinchenko with Ruben Amorim also making wholesale changes.
Tyrell Malacia, Mason Mount and Alejandro Garnacho are among the players that have come into the United team with Lisandro Martinez and Kobbie Mainoo both suspended. Marcus Rashford, Amad and Joshua Zirkzee, who each impressed in the 4-0 win against Everton, have dropped down to the bench.
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