Mikel Arteta has hinted Gabriel Magalhaes could return for tomorrow’s game against Everton.
The Brazil international has been struggling with a muscular problem for a few weeks and the club have kept him on the sidelines for three games in a row.
It’s thought the defender picked up the issue in the 5-1 win against Sporting Lisbon and aggravated it four days later when the Gunners also hit five past West Ham. He was withdrawn at half-time of that game having also taken a blow to the head from Lukasz Fabianski.
Jakub Kiwior has been providing cover for Gabriel so it’ll be interesting if the Pole, who has played well, will drop out completely or move across to left-back where Arsenal have had other injury issues.
Oleksandr Zinchenko remains sidelined and Arteta, unfortunately, doesn’t expect Riccardo Calafiori to return this weekend either.
Asked about Gabriel and Calafioriori, Arteta said coyly: “There is a possibility with one of them to be available. He trained today and we’ll see tomorrow.”
When pressed on the identity of who trained, he confirmed it was the former.
As for Calafiori, who has a groin issue, he added: “We’re just respecting the times that the medical department has set and then we just monitor his evolution every single day. And we understand that he’s not fully ready yet, but he’s getting very close now.”
Myles Lewis-Skelly, who started against Monaco on Wednesday, is another option at left-back after a very promising performance on his Champions League debut.
“He certainly deserves to be in contention, to be selected, because he performed and competed really well,” said Arteta.
“At his age, to show that maturity on the pitch is strange. And off the field, it’s exactly the same. He’s a person that continuously surprises all the staff with the kind of questions that he keeps asking.
“A lot of time, that tells you the intelligence of the person and Myles is a really bright boy.”
He added” “You always take a chance [when fielding a youngster]. Nobody can guarantee you a performance, it doesn’t matter the experience or the age.
“But he was surrounded by very senior players, very experienced players and we believe that it was the right context, a context that he could succeed and help the team to perform to win the game. And he certainly did that.”
MLS future is very bright.
Dunno. I think it’s still seen as a mi-tier league for European players wanting to cash in at the end of their careers.
Big Gabi and either Kiwior or MLS would be good.
I don’t ever want to see Kiwior as a LB again. If Gabi plays, MLS beside him. If Kiwior plays, MLS beside him.
if needs must then Kiwior will be LB, but he plays better at as left CB.
Kuba Kiwior for the win! Honestly he might be a notch below Gabi at defending but his passing is so good that it almost makes up for it. I’d almost be tempted to play both of them together at some point to give Saliba a rest. They played a few games together back when Saliba was injured and did very well, I’m sure they can hack it vs Everton at home.
I’m not convinced Gabi will be fit.
But hey, dreams can come true. Look at me babe I’m with you. You know you’ve got to have hope. You know you’ve got to be strong.
I can love
But I need his heart
I am strong even on my own
But from him, I never want to part
He’s been there since the very start
My angel, Gabriel
Tunee
We shouldn’t risk Gabriel against Everton if he’s not 100%. With the midweek cup game coming up too it will give him some extra time to recover till next weekend against Palace.
Someone needs to train an AI model to decipher Mik’s injury updates
Lewis-Skelly “was surrounded by very senior players, very experienced players and we believe that it was the right context, a context that he could succeed and help the team to perform to win the game.” Which it makes it very different from an early-round league cup lineup, which is a mix of squad players, youth players, and a couple of regulars who need the minutes. The eleven named against Monaco were a version of Arsenal’s best available team, given injuries and a reasonable amount of needed rotation. That helps cover Lewis-Skelly’s weaknesses, of course–but it also shows whether he fits… Read more »