Gabriel Injury Mars Brazil’s Win, Calafiori Withdraws from Italy Squad

Arsenal’s Gabriel Suffers Groin Injury in Brazil Win Over Senegal

Arsenal centre-back Gabriel is a fitness doubt for key upcoming fixtures after suffering a groin injury during Brazil’s 2-0 friendly victory over Senegal at Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

The 27-year-old pulled up off the ball around the 58th minute, clutching his right thigh. After receiving treatment, he was substituted, raising concerns for Premier League leaders Arsenal, who face Tottenham Hotspur on 23 November and Bayern Munich in the Champions League days later.

Ancelotti: ‘Disappointed… Medical Staff Will Assess’

Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti expressed concern post-match:

“Bad? I don’t know. He had an injury in his adductor,” Ancelotti said.

“The medical staff has to check tomorrow. We are really sorry and disappointed. When a player has an injury, you hope they recover well and soon.”

Gabriel has been a cornerstone of Arsenal’s backline this season, helping the Gunners concede just five goals in 11 Premier League games so far.

Brazil Secure Friendly Victory at Emirates

Brazil eased to a 2-0 win in London with goals from Chelsea prodigy Estevao and Manchester United’s Casemiro.

However, the result was overshadowed by Gabriel’s early exit, prompting fears for Arsenal fans just days ahead of a pivotal domestic and European run.

Italy Send Calafiori Home

Meanwhile, Italy boss Gennaro Gattuso confirmed that Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori has withdrawn from the national squad ahead of Sunday’s clash with Norway.

The 22-year-old didn’t feature in Thursday’s 2-0 World Cup qualifying win over Moldova, having followed a tailored training programme to manage physical load.

“We tried Calafiori, he had a few issues,” Gattuso said.

“I thank him for his commitment. He stayed here for a week and maybe could have played, but it wouldn’t have been fair to him or Arsenal.”

According to BBC Sport sources, Calafiori has not returned to Arsenal for treatment, but remains under evaluation.

Arsenal Facing Defensive Injury Concerns

With both Gabriel and Calafiori picking up issues during international duty, Mikel Arteta may be forced to shuffle his backline ahead of Arsenal’s return to action.

Arsenal next face fierce rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the North London Derby on 23 November, followed by a high-stakes Champions League encounter with Bayern Munich at Emirates Stadium.