Arsenal Hit With Defensive Injury Concerns Ahead Of Tottenham Clash

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is facing a growing list of fitness worries after three of his defenders picked up knocks during the international break.

Arsenal will return to club duty this week with concerns surrounding Gabriel, Riccardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber.

The Premier League table-toppers had gone into the break with one of the strongest defensive records in Europe, holding eight straight clean sheets across all competitions before drawing 2-2 with Sunderland.

They meet Tottenham on Sunday in the north London derby, followed by a Champions League meeting with Bayern Munich.

Gabriel was the first major setback. The Brazilian centre back, who has formed a solid partnership with William Saliba, left Saturday’s friendly against Senegal with a thigh issue.

He did not travel to France for Brazil’s game against Tunisia on Tuesday after scans confirmed the injury.

The 27-year-old has played a key role in a back line that has conceded only five goals in 11 league matches, and he has added two goals of his own this season.

Calafiori, who has been Arteta’s main option at left back, also withdrew from international duty. The Italian defender reported to the national team for qualifiers against Moldova and Norway but trained on his own because of a hip problem and did not appear in either game.

There is some optimism that he may recover in time for Sunday’s match.

Timber became the latest concern on Monday after suffering a painful challenge during the Netherlands’ 4-0 win over Lithuania. He needed medical attention on the pitch and initially looked to have sustained a knee injury. Later images showed a deep cut on his leg.

He continued for around half an hour before being replaced, raising hopes that the damage may not be severe.

Arsenal already have several attacking players unavailable, including Viktor Gyokores, Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz and Noni Madueke. Captain Martin Odegaard has also been sidelined in recent matches.

Source: Naijanews