Arsenal are preparing to travel up to Goodison Park in order to continue their unbeaten start to the season this weekend as they take on slow-starting Everton following the international break.
With breaks for international fixtures early on in the season always providing teams with unwanted and unnecessary injuries, the Gunners and manager Mikel Arteta will not have been alone in their worry over some of their top stars but look set to come out of the period unscathed.
Centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes, who had been the centre of a transfer swirl over the past few weeks before the deadline closed, played the full 90 minutes for Brazil against Peru after suffering two separate injury scares in his country’s first match of the break against Bolivia.
The star was on the wrong end of a horror tackle by Bolivian forward Diego Ibanez in his debut for Brazil when Ibanez’s right knee went straight into the chest of the Arsenal star as he attempted to win the ball.
Gabriel would continue for another 80 minutes after the challenge though, but following his late substitution, he was spotted with an ice pack on his thigh sparking concerns amongst fans of an injury.
However, he was spotted in training just two days later leaving many relieved after reports suggested a scan on his issue revealed no signs of injury.
He then again partnered with Paris Saint-Germain star Marquinhos for the game against Peru, in which Gabriel kept a clean sheet after playing the entire match, with the Ligue 1 defender nodding in the game’s only goal from a 90th-minute corner for a 1-0 win.
Elsewhere, Thomas Partey is set for a spell on the sidelines with his groin issue after it was announced by the Ghanian FA that he’d suffered a blow in training. It remains to be seen how long the midfielder will miss out for but reports are suggesting the club hopes he’ll recover in time for the clash with the Toffees on Sunday.
Jurrien Timber will also miss out following his opening weekend knee injury earlier this season. football.london understands that the Dutch international underwent successful surgery two weeks ago and is now in the “recovery phase” of his rehabilitation.
Arteta has already highlighted how the left-back’s issue is a ‘huge blow’ for his side after the Gunners failed to find a short-term replacement are on in the transfer window.
There has been no further updates on Mohamed Elneny’s own knee injury which he suffered back in January, with no planned return date announced.
