Arsenal are sweating over the fitness of Gabriel Magalhaes and Riccardo Calafiori ahead of the North London derby.
Gabriel Magalhaes goes down injured during the International Friendly between Brazil and Senegal at Emirates Stadium.
Gabriel Magalhaes is a major injury concern for Arsenal after suffering an injury while in action for Brazil.
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Arsenal have received a much-needed injury boost amid worries over the fitness of Gabriel Magalhães and Riccardo Calafiori. Gabriel was forced off with a muscle problem during Brazil's friendly victory over Senegal on Saturday.
The Gunners are preparing for a crucial series of matches following the international break as Mikel Arteta aims to solidify their position at the top of the Premier League table. They currently sit four points ahead of Manchester City after 11 games, and eight in front of reigning champions Liverpool.
However, a challenging sequence of fixtures in the upcoming weeks means Arsenal can't afford any slip-ups. They're set to face arch-rivals Tottenham next weekend, followed by a Champions League showdown with Bayern Munich and a league encounter with Chelsea the week after.
The international break hasn't been kind to the Gunners, with Calafiori pulling out from the Italy squad ahead of their World Cup qualifier against Norway.
The defender didn't play in the victory over Moldova and had been training separately due to a reported hip injury, but wasn't deemed fit enough for Sunday's match and returned to the club.
On Saturday, Gabriel was in action for Brazil in their 2-0 triumph over Senegal at the Emirates Stadium. Despite warming up separately as part of load management, it wasn't sufficient to avoid injury, as he pulled up with a muscle issue while defending a transition in the second half.
Now, Arteta and his team are hoping that the Brazilian's issue isn't serious. A statement from Brazil confirmed: "Arsenal player Gabriel Magalhaes was re-evaluated this Sunday and underwent imaging tests that revealed a muscle injury in his right thigh.
“Therefore, the player will not travel with the team for the match against Tunisia in Lille. No other player will be called up to replace him.”
This makes the latest update on Calafiori a relief for Arteta, who was initially looking at the possibility of facing Tottenham next week without two of his starting defenders.
Riccardo Calafiori before the Italy training session.
Riccardo Calafiori has pulled out of the Italy squad in an injury worry to Arsenal.
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According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal expect Calafiori to be fit from next week despite his early departure from the Italy camp.
Calafiori has been in the starting line-up for all of Arsenal's league matches this season and has become a key player after overcoming an injury-riddled first season at the club. The fact that his latest problem is minor and reportedly won't require any time out is crucial for the manager.
Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli, Viktor Gyokeres and Noni Madueke are all currently on Arsenal's injury list. Arteta will be hoping to welcome some players back after the international break.
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