Not for the first time, Arsenal have been left cursing their luck after an international break that has caused nothing but problems.
Injuries have been an issue at the Emirates all season but with added depth and quality in the ranks, Mikel Arteta has largely been able to navigate his way through the storm. Despite some key absences, his side are four points clear at the summit of English football ahead of Sunday’s north London derby against Tottenham.
But with the final international break now out of the way and a breathless run through the festive period looming large, fresh concerns were waiting for Arteta and his staff in north London this week.
Gabriel Magalhaes didn’t even need to travel to join the walking wounded. The centre-half limped out of Brazil’s friendly with Senegal at the Emirates with a thigh injury that is expected to rule him out for at least four weeks.
While not quite a bombshell, there was the rather startling admission from Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann that Kai Havertz has had a ‘minor relapse’ in his bid to return from a knee injury that has delayed his return to the end of the year.
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Havertz has not played since the opening weekend of the season went he underwent what the club described as ‘minor’ surgery in August.
There were also slight concerns for Riccardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber during their trips away with Italy and Netherlands respectively.
Arteta has been without Noni Madueke and Martin Odegaard for a number of weeks with Viktor Gyokeres also missing the last two games with a hamstring injury. Before the break, Arteta was cautiously optimistic the trio would be back in time for the derby, along with Gabriel Martinelli. But then again, there was similar hope for Havertz.
Arsenal resume their campaign fully in control as they chase down a first league title in 22 years. Prior to the 2-2 draw with Sunderland last time out, they had conceded just one goal in a run of 10 games, rock-solid at the back with elite quality and depth in midfield and attack.
Arsenal have stood firm this term when key personnel have dropped out. But injuries have had a destabilising effect in the past.
How long is Gabriel Magalhaes out for?
While Arsenal are still investigating the injury, Stephen Smith, CEO and founder of Kitman Labs, believes the issue may relate to the Brazilian’s quadricep muscle.
Reports have suggested the Brazilian is facing at minimum four weeks on the sidelines but that time out will depend on the severity of the issue.
‘As he walked off the pitch, we saw him clutching his quad so most likely it is a quad strain, Smith said. ‘The average timeline based on recent studies is about 25 days. That can vary if its lower or higher grade but if it is a grade 1, it will be generally less than 25 days.
‘Grade 2 can be 20 to 40 days and a grade 3 or a more severe grade 2 can be upwards of a month and a half or two months. Hamstring injuries can be very tricky and you can miss a decent amount of time with them. But with quad injuries, if there is any tendon involvement in the injury, that can be really tricky because the whole muscle group is completely compromised.
‘So if there is any level of tendon involvement that can be a real issue from a rehab point of view and van delay the return to play.’
It was the loss of William Saliba that derailed a title charge in the 2022-23 season. Arsenal won just five of their 11 remaining games that campaign after losing the Frenchman to a back injury. They eventually finished five points behind Manchester City who went onto secure the treble.
Last season, they were just three points adrift of Liverpool when Saka was struck down by a hamstring injury that required surgery just before Christmas. By the time he returned, it had grown to a 12-point chasm with title hopes in north London long extinguished. Arsenal also lost Havertz and Martinelli to injuries in February with Odegaard missing a significant period earlier in the season.
The difference this time around may be the strength in depth Arteta has at his disposal. Madueke, whose move across the capital from Chelsea was initially met with scepticism, stepped in admirably during Saka’s absence in August and September after a fresh hamstring issue. Martin Zubimendi has been a reliable source of control and invention in midfield during Odegaard’s frequent absences. Cristhian Mosquera meanwhile has slotted in effortlessly when called upon and could now be handed an extended run in the side in Gabriel’s absence.
The Brazil international has been a fearsome presence at both ends of the pitch for Arsenal this term. With perhaps the exception of his partner in crime Saliba or Declan Rice, his absence will perhaps be felt the most.
Arsenal are still waiting to learn the full extent of the injury with Stephen Smith, CEO and founder of Kitman Labs which specialises in injury welfare, suspecting the specific issue may be with the defender’s quadriceps muscle.
How will Arsenal manage Gabriel’s comeback?
Any injury in the thigh area can be problematic, with it affecting almost every fact of a player’s game.
Acceleration, decertation, the force required in kicking the ball, jumping and landing relies on that muscle structure – with those latter two particularly vital for Gabriel who has been a colossus in the air both at the back and in front of goal.
‘It will be very important for them to manage his physical load through games,’ Smith said. ‘They [Arsenal] will be keen ensure his vertical jump is the same and his power output is the same. The amount of explosive force to jump but also to land is huge – a lot of the time you are not actually landing on two legs, you’re coming back down on one with entire force of your body, plus sometimes with someone else’s momentum as well.
‘So they will absolutely be looking at that and thinking about that. It is an important part of his game so it will be an important part of their simulation work to ensure he is prepared for that.
‘You can’t ask an athlete to go out there and change they way he behaves. He has to have confidence and belief when he walks out there he can play the game the way he does.’
‘Arsenal will want to see the images themselves and determine exactly where that fibre disruption is,’ Smith told Metro. ‘They will also want to understand how much bleeding or how much fluid came from the tear as well to give them a decent indication of what damage was created. A scan will show the number of muscle fibres that were torn, subsequent scans will show the size of the tear and help understand the magnitude of the issue if indeed it is a quad strain.’
Elsewhere, very little has been disclosed over the injury Gyokeres picked up at the start of November with Arteta poised to deliver an update on the striker and the rest of the squad on Friday.
While Mikel Merino has so often been a dependable stand-in up top, having the Sweden international and Havertz unavailable heading into December will be another huge problem to solve.
But unlike previous seasons, they might just have the solutions at hand this time.