Mikel Arteta has provided an update on the injury sustained by Gabriel that forced the defender off against Olympiacos on Wednesday night.
The Brazilian centre-back came off in the 75th minute after colliding with David Raya and was replaced by Cristhian Mosquera, as we held firm to collect a 2-0 victory and record back-to-back Champions League wins.
However, with the games coming thick and fast, we’re back in action against West Ham United on Saturday at Emirates Stadium, so will Big Gabi be available against the Hammers? Mikel admits that while there is no long-term damage, it is still in the balance as to whether Gabi will line up in our backline as we chase a fourth-straight win in all competitions.
Providing an update in his pre-match press conference, he said: “We will have to wait and see after training and see how everybody is. We weren’t too concerned about it.”
One defender who will definitely miss the London derby is Piero Hincapie. The Ecuadorian is suffering from a groin problem sustained after his debut against Athletic Club a couple of weeks ago, and Mikel believes that he could be available again after the imminent international break.
“We’ve been trying to do everything as fast as possible [to get him fit], but this game came too fast. Now we have an international break, so hopefully, after that, he will have a couple of sessions with the team and be ready to go.”
That leaves Noni Madueke, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus as our other injury concerns as the trio continue to rehab their knee issues.
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