Gabriel is a vital part of Arteta's Arsenal side.placeholder image
Gabriel is a vital part of Arteta's Arsenal side. | Arsenal FC via Getty Images
Mikel Arteta will have to make do without Arsenal defensive linchpin Gabriel for at least a month.
The centre-back limped off in the 64th minute as the nation beat Senegal 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, having appeared to pick up a muscle problem while sprinting. All eyes and ears will be on Mikel Arteta for an update in his pre-match press conference ahead of taking on Tottenham Hotspur this weekend.
Widespread reports claim that Gabriel is looking at four weeks away from first team action. That will leave Arteta turning to Piero Hincapie or Cristian Mosquera to pad out the back four.
Arsenal dealt Gabriel injury blow ahead of Spurs and Chelsea clashes
The injury comes at an awful time ahead of a hectic few weeks of fixtures as Arsenal fight in the Premier League, Champions League and Carabao Cup. Gabriel will certainly miss out against Spurs on Sunday and then when Bayern Munich visit in the Champions League and for the trip to Chelsea next weekend.
Those are crunch matches during which Arsenal will be without the star, who has been a standout player so far this season. The Gunners’ defensive form has been notorious thanks to Gabriel’s partnership with William Saliba at the heart of defence. The player also has two goals and three assists in all competitions.
Arteta will want the Brazilian back as soon as possible. At the start of December, Arsenal play Brentford, Aston Villa and travel to Club Brugge in less than a week. However, when looking at the fixtures for the next month and a half, there is one banana skin game that the club should prioritise having Gabriel back for.
Gunners should prioritise Gabriel return for Crystal Palace cup tie
That comes on December 23 when Arsenal host Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup at the Emirates Stadium. To face an upset in front of a home crowd right before Christmas would be a serious morale blow and that match is a must-win - even if Arsenal silverware hopes this season are above the domestic tournament.
Crystal Palace will not go down easily either. Oliver Glasner’s side have a penchant for an underdog win and a quarter-final 48 hours before Christmas is exactly the type of match the Eagles really turn up in.
The south London outfit beat Manchester City in the final of the FA Cup last season and thumped Liverpool 3-0 in the last round of the Carabao Cup at Anfield. Crystal Palace made life hard for Arsenal too when the Gunners edged a 1-0 win at the end of October.
In that meeting with Glasner’s side, Gabriel was the star of the show. There are few players who can keep the likes of Jean-Philippe Mateta and Ismaila Sarr quiet but the centre-back did that thanks to his physicality.
The Brazilian was rated an 8/10 for his performance by LondonWorld. We wrote: “Always prepared to sacrifice his body for the team, taking a chunk of the goal post in his crotch during the second half. Unlucky not to bag himself another goal from a set play, hitting the crossbar with a good header.”
There are so many matches coming up where Arsenal would love to have Gabriel available but that troublesome Carabao Cup quarter final feels the perfect date to aim for when it comes to a return.
In other news, Arsenal boost in £65m transfer race with Tottenham as Gunners 'regularly' scout La Liga man - round-up.
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