Mikel Arteta has delivered an update on Gabriel Magalhaes ahead of our home game against Crystal Palace in the Premier League at Emirates Stadium.
Big Gabi came off in the second half against Atletico Madrid after scoring and providing an assist in a 4-0 win. Ahead of our clash with the Eagles, Mikel provided an update on the Brazilian’s fitness.
He said in his pre-match press conference: “Big Gabi had to leave the pitch with an issue and he hasn’t been able to train yet, so let’s see how he evolves in the next 24 hours to see whether he’s available or not for the weekend.”
Martin Odegaard, Noni Madueke, Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz are all more long-term absentees, working their way back to fitness.
At the Sobha Realty Training Centre, Mikel also gave a positive update on the quartet and hopes to see them back in action soon.
He said: “They are progressing really well. They are starting to do certain activities. They are all super willing to be available as quickly as possible, but at the moment, none of them are yet in contention in the next week or so.”
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Gabriel has been part of a rock-solid backline this season, conceding just three times across all competitions.
While the defence has drawn praise this campaign, Mikel wants us to keep that momentum going throughout the whole of 2025/26.
He said: “The defensive record is very good, but we need to be consistent; it’s only just the start of the season. The aim is to continue improving things, which we can still do a lot of, to do even better.”
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