Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has insisted Gabriel Magalhães is expected to make a swift recovery from the fitness issue which brought his involvement in Wednesday’s meeting with Olympiacos to an abrupt end.
With the Gunners already on track to secure what ended up as a comfortable 2–0 victory, Gabriel was forced off the field with 15 minutes remaining, looking devastated as he sank his head into his hands in frustration.
The nature of Gabriel’s reaction left Arsenal fans fearing the worst, but Arteta assured worried supporters that his removal from the pitch was precautionary, rather than enforced.
“I think he’s going to be OK,” Arteta explained.
“I think it was a kick, in the first half, and it was a bit uncomfortable. He could carry on but we decided not to take any risks because he’s played a lot of games.
“He’s coming back from a long-term injury and we need to look after him.”
Even with Gabriel likely to be fine in the long term, Arsenal still face a nervous wait to find out whether he will be healthy enough to feature in Saturday’s Premier League clash with West Ham United.
The Brazilian has not missed a minute of Premier League action so far this season, having seen his 2024–25 campaign brought to an abrupt end by a hamstring injury in April, but may be forced to end that streak this weekend.
Arsenal are, however, well-stocked in defence. It was Cristhian Mosquera who replaced Gabriel alongside William Saliba on Wednesday, while Italy international Riccardo Calafiori is also comfortable in a central role despite being used primarily on the left during his time in England.
Summer signing Piero Hincapié remains sidelined with a groin issue. While he is not expected to need much longer out of action, Saturday’s game will come too soon for the Ecuador international.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘A Bit Uncomfortable’—Mikel Arteta Offers Gabriel Injury Verdict After Olympiacos Win.
