Mikel Arteta and Arsenal are still awaiting to find out how long Gabriel Magalhaes, who was injured during Brazil's 2-0 win over Senegal on Saturday, will be sidelined for. The Premier League title-chasing Gunners, however, could be in line to pocket a substantial payment from FIFA due to a little-known rule regarding players getting injured while on international break.
Critically, ahead of the North London derby, Arsenal – given that Martin Odegaard and Riccardo Calafiori look unlikely to be fit for their home meeting with Tottenham Hotspur – will be looking to reduce how many players are facing time queuing for the treatment table. But Gabriel, who is yet to miss a Premier League minute in 2025/26, could be the latest casualty.
Gabriel – who moved to the Emirates Stadium outfit in the summer of 2020 from Lille – picked up an injury in the second half of Brazil's win, courtesy of goals from Willian Estevao and Casemiro, and it's now an ever-growing concern for those associated with the north Londoners. Looking ahead, the Gunners have meetings with Chelsea and Bayern Munich to win.
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The Little-Known FIFA Rule Which Could Earn Arsenal Millions From Gabriel's Injury
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In the aftermath of Carlo Ancelotti's Brazil side winning in London, an injury expert on X (formerly Twitter) – named Physio Scout – claimed that he could be sidelined for as long as eight weeks if the assessments were as severe as could be. "With groins and hamstrings, injuries closer to the hip (proximal) are generally more concerning than those further down the muscle," they wrote.
"Most groin problems end up being minor, with players back in 1–3 weeks, but the fact that he’s feeling it higher up makes me more cautious here and raises the risk of a Grade 2+ injury." Therefore, a grade two injury could result in Gabriel being out for three to six weeks; a grade three groin injury would be anywhere from six to eight weeks or potentially even more.
The 27-year-old, widely regarded as one of the best defenders in world football, was seen clutching his inner thigh as he walked off the pitch and substituted in favour of AS Roma defender Wesley – but Arsenal could pocket up to millions in cash due to a little-known rule.
Although Gabriel's injury, on the face of it, will be seen as a major blow to Arsenal and their title-winning pursuit, a silver lining will be that they could be in line for a compensation payment as he was injured during the November international break – rather than while he was on duty for his Premier League employers, the Gunners.
Since 2012, FIFA's 'Club Protection Programme' has promised clubs a sum if a player is injured if a player picks up an injury while representing their respective nations – and, in this case, Gabriel for the Brazilian national team. In order for someone to be eligible, they must be sidelined for at least 28 consecutive days after an "accident".
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Based off a daily compensation rate of £18,000, which is a figure determined from the daily "pro rata" compensation of up to €20,548, the maximum a club can pocket is £6.6 million as FIFA, football's chief figureheads, ultimately pay off the player's wages during their prolonged period of absence. The fee is payable for no more than 365 days.
Currently, fellow Premier League side Newcastle United are receiving compensation from FIFA following Yoane Wissa's injury in September. For £55 million, the forward was signed from Brentford but is yet to play for Eddie Howe's Magpies after picking up a knee injury in DR Congo's 3-2 loss to Senegal. As things stand, the 29-year-old has missed 80 days of action and has missed a total of 16 fixtures.