Gabriel Magalhaes has sent a clear message after picking up a hamstring injury during Arsenal's 2-1 win over Fulham in the Premier League on Tuesday evening. With Bukayo Saka back in a matchday squad for the first time in over three months, morale was high at Emirates Stadium but that all came crashing down after just 16 minutes.
Upon running back to his position, Gabriel pulled up and began hobbling while holding the back of his right leg with Mikel Arteta's immediate update on him and Jurrien Timber, who was also forced in the second half with an issue picked up earlier in the game, rather ominous.
"With both of them, because they are two players in this team that never want to come off, are those two probably and Gabi felt something in his hamstring," he admitted in a press conference.
"We don't know how big that is and with Jurrien as well. He was already struggling very early in the game. He managed to continue, at some point he couldn't. So that's the downside to it."
With the first leg of a Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid less than a week away, losing potentially four defenders is far from ideal.
Ben White is also a doubt to feature after picking up an issue before the Fulham game which saw him omitted from the squad. Riccardo Calafiori is also unlikely to feature with the knee injury suffered during the March international break keeping him out of action for the next few weeks.
As for Gabriel and Timber, it looks as though the former has suffered a more worrying injury with his wife Gabrielle Figueiredo revealing he could not join her at an Amazon Prime event on Wednesday due to that problem.
"He got injured yesterday [Tuesday] so that is why he is not here with me," she said.
"He would love to be here and I would love to be here with him but yesterday we got the news that he got [an] injury and now he is with the doctor and is having scans.
"So this is real life and we never expected anything like this. I think the only thing that we can do is be together and be the assurance for each other and that is what I will do when I arrive home today.
"It is not easy but we will try our best to create this bond together in every difficult moment."
He has however, made his feelings clear on the video uploaded by his partner to Instagram. Showing off some jewellery and a new bag for the event, Gabriel simply replied to her post with four heart-eye emojis.
Gabriel Magalhaes sends a message to his wife on Instagram
Gabriel Magalhaes sends a message to his wife on Instagram (Image: A comment from Gabriel Magalhaes on Instagram)
Arteta will hold another press conference on Friday before the Saturday lunchtime kick-off against Everton with questions on Gabriel's fitness very likely. White and Timber will also certainly be on the agenda alongside Saka after he scored on his return from injury earlier this week.
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Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus with the Arsenal Therapy Dog Win during the Arsenal Men's team group shoot at London Colney on September 18, 2023
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