The Athletic’s Arsenal correspondent James McNicholas has offered an update on the fitness of Brazilian defender Gabriel Magalhaes.
The centre-half has not featured for the club so far this season following an injury he picked up while training with his national team ahead of the Olympic Games.
The 23-year-old has been seeing a specialist in Mexico recently, but is now back in London hoping to return to full fitness.
A key player in the Arsenal team last season, with 31 starts in all competitions, Mikel Arteta will likely want the defender back in his team again as soon as possible.
While talking on the Arsecast Extra podcast, McNicholas provided details on Gabriel’s current status and expected return date.
The journalist explained: “He trained on Saturday, I believe, but he’s not played football for quite a while now.
“So I think it will be touch-and-go for next weekend. I don’t think he’ll be ready for Wednesday night.”
TIF thoughts on Gabriel and Arsenal…
The Gunner’s slow start to the season could well be attributed in some part to the absence of Gabriel. His physicality would have possibly helped the club in defeats to both Brentford and Chelsea, considering the nature of some of the goals conceded.
It looks as though he doesn’t have much chance of featuring in the Carabao Cup tie against West Brom in midweek, but as McNicholas suggests, there is seemingly an outside shot of him featuring against Manchester City this coming weekend. Either way, it does not seem he is too far away from a return to action having resumed training.
Having also been without Ben White for the Chelsea game, Arsenal fans will likely be desperate to see at least one of their key centre-backs fit and ready for the trip to the Etihad Stadium.