Arsenal are “hopeful” that Gabriel will be back in the starting lineup for the match against Everton this weekend, according to the Daily Mail reporter Sami Mokbel.
The journalist, who has even been cited by David Ornstein as a source for stories, claims that Gabriel is nearing his comeback from injury.
Most Read on Gooner News
There was a chance that the centre-back could have played against Monaco on Wednesday evening but the Gunners’ medical team opted against taking a risk on his fitness.
However, Mokbel believes that Gabriel is “close to returning” to first-team action so fans should not be surprised if he is named in the first eleven on Saturday.
Why has Gabriel been on the sidelines?
The Brazilian international aggravated his hamstring during the final few minutes of the 5-1 win over Sporting Lisbon last month.
Gabriel was still picked to start the subsequent league fixture against West Ham but he lasted only 45 minutes before being forced to withdraw.
The defender has not featured in the last three games versus Manchester United, Fulham and Monaco.
Latest Arsenal injury news
Four other first-team players are also on the treatment table. Oleksandr Zinchenko has a muscular problem, with the Ukrainian having missed the last two matches with the injury. There is no indication as to whether he will be fit to play this weekend.
Manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Riccardo Calafiori has a groin injury and, despite the Italian being very keen to return to action, the club is being cautious about his potential return. The defender’s first season at the Emirates has been plagued by various fitness issues.
Both Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu are long-term absentees. While the former may not return until January at the earliest after undergoing knee surgery, the latter is out for an indefinite period.
Find out who is in Arsenal’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here