Arsenal - Gabriel - Partey - Havertz
Image credit: Getty Images
Several Arsenal players have been in action for their national teams during the ongoing international break, with mixed results across various competitions.
Mikel Merino played a crucial role for Spain, scoring a late equaliser against the Netherlands to secure a draw. Meanwhile, Myles Lewis-Skelly had a dream debut for England, marking his first appearance with a goal against Albania at Wembley on Friday night.
Elsewhere, Oleksandr Zinchenko featured in midfield for Ukraine as they faced Leandro Trossard’s Belgium, while William Saliba started for France in their disappointing 2-0 defeat to Croatia.
Arsenal’s Riccardo Calafiori suffered a knee injury while playing for Italy, raising concerns about his availability for upcoming club fixtures.
READ MORE: Arsenal star sent home early from international duty due to serious injury
Meanwhile, Gabriel Magalhães played a key role in Brazil’s 2-1 win over Colombia but will miss their next game against Argentina due to suspension. The Arsenal defender received a yellow card just before halftime, which triggered a one-game ban under CONMEBOL rules.
Gabriel’s absence comes at a critical time, as Argentina currently lead the CONMEBOL qualifiers with 25 points from 12 matches, four points ahead of Brazil, despite playing one fewer game.
Gabriel Magalhaes Brazil
Gabriel Magalhaes (Image credit: Getty Images)
Brazil will now have to take on their fierce rivals in Buenos Aires without one of their most in-form defenders.
Despite the setback, Brazil remain in a strong position to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The top six teams from South America qualify automatically, while the seventh-placed team enters the inter-confederation playoffs.
With only five or six games remaining, Brazil have a nine-point cushion over eighth place, making qualification highly likely.
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However, when it comes to Brazil vs. Argentina, the stakes are always high—it’s not just about points, it’s about pride.
Another Arsenal star,Jurrien Timber missed the Netherlands’ 2-2 draw with Spain through illness and will play no part in this weekend’s reverse fixture.
Ronald Koeman named Timber in his 24-man party for the two-legged Nations League quarter-final, but the versatile defender was left out of Koeman’s matchday squad on Thursday evening at Feyenoord’s De Kuip.
It emerged that Timber had come down with a sickness bug in the build-up to the Rotterdam clash and Koeman decided against risking the 23-year-old for the quarter-final first leg.
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