The international break is finally coming to an end this weekend, and Arsenal can continue their Premier League title charge.
Mikel Arteta’s side are four points clear at the top, and play host to North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday afternoon.
However, as seems to be the case every gameweek this season, a fresh injury has just made the Gunners’ job all the more difficult.
On top of being without most of their attacking players, Arsenal will have to make do without Gabriel Magalhães in the derby, although Arteta might have an ideal replacement.
The latest on Gabriel's injury
Plenty of Arsenal fans turned up at the Emirates on Saturday afternoon hoping to see Gabriel earn another senior cap for Brazil against Senegal, which he did.
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However, instead of seeing one of their best players put on a defensive clinic, they saw him being taken off the pitch holding his groin in the 64th minute.
After the game, Carlo Ancelotti didn’t sound optimistic, telling reporters that he and the staff were “really sorry for this” and that things didn’t look good for the defender.
Unfortunately, he has since been proven right, as The Athletic’s David Ornstein later reported that, following initial tests by the club, the 27-year-old is expected to miss up to two months of action.
While every injury poses a problem for the club, the absence of the former LOSC Lille gem is a huge one, as he has been in incredible form this season and has arguably been the best player.
For example, he’s been vital to the Gunners’ superb defensive record, but has also been a clutch player in the opposition’s penalty area, racking up a tally of two goals and three assists in just 17 games so far.
However, while the impact of Gabriel’s absence from the side that take on Spurs at the weekend will be massive, Arteta does have someone in the side who might be the ideal replacement.
Arsenal's ideal Gabriel replacement
The main reason Arsenal fans should still feel confident heading into Sunday’s game is that Arteta has other quality defenders he can start in Gabriel’s place, like Cristhian Mosquera.
Now, some fans might argue for Riccardo Calafiori to be moved into the back two, or for Piero Hincapie to start in place of the Brazilian.
However, the Italian has been unreal at left-back, and while the Ecuadorian could be a great backup, the only game he’s started this season was the League Cup clash against Brighton & Hove Albion, so it’s unclear how he’d react to a heated derby.
Furthermore, while he’s young, the former Valencia gem has already proven that he can step in and thrive in the most intense of atmospheres for the club.
Minutes
85′
Tackles Won
2
Clearances
3
Ball Recoveries
3
Blocked Shots
2
Ground Duels (Won)
5 (4)
Passing Accuracy
47/51 (92%)
Touches
62
For example, when William Saliba had to come off just five minutes into the game against Liverpool, Arteta turned to the young Spaniard during his 85-odd minutes, you’d have been forgiven for thinking the Frenchman was still on the pitch.
Then, instead of going with someone else, the manager stuck with the Alicante-born monster and was rewarded with an incredibly dominant display against Nottingham Forest.
Moreover, despite being 21 years old, the 6 foot 3 titan already had plenty of top-flight experience before his move to North London.
Between his debut for Valencia in the 21/22 season and his exit in the summer, the intimidating centre-back made 90 first-team appearances, totalling 7399 minutes, which helps explain why last year one analyst argued that “he is on his way to becoming one of the best centre-backs in the world.”
Finally, while the right-footed ace has the silky passing ability of Saliba, he also has that fiery old-school passion that Gabriel has and, in the words of analyst Ben Mattinson, “thrives in ground duels.”
Ultimately, losing Gabriel to injury is far from ideal, but Mosquera’s defensive ability and passion could help minimise the damage for Arsenal.
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