Arteta Confirms Gabriel Still “Some Weeks” From Returning

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·1 December 2025

Arteta Confirms Gabriel Still “Some Weeks” From Returning

Mikel Arteta gave an update on Gabriel’s fitness in his post Chelsea press conference, indicating that the Brazilian is still some way from returning. The central defender is currently managing a groin injury suffered during the last international break with Brazil. The initial assessment suggested it was not severe, but he is still expected to miss a handful of matches. Arsenal have managed to handle some difficult fixtures without him. Even so, Gabriel was a big miss on Sunday when the Gunners collected only a point against Chelsea. Their defensive issues increased further when William Saliba was ruled out of the match with an injury of his own.

Arteta gives update on Saliba and Gabriel

Arteta provided clarity on both players after the match through Arsenal. Further tests will be carried out on Saliba to determine the extent of his issue, while he offered a timeline for Gabriel. He confirmed that the Brazilian still has “some weeks to go” on his path back to fitness, which may rule him out of the busy festive period. This could sideline him for difficult fixtures leading into the new year. The description of “some weeks” gives only a broad indication of when he may return. Even if he were to come back in two weeks, which would be the best case scenario, he would still miss several games.

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Gabriel (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Defensive cover in the meantime

Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapié will continue to cover in his absence. Both have already partnered Saliba at the heart of the defence, and they may continue together if Saliba’s injury proves more serious.

Let’s hope Saliba’s back soon. Can we trust in Mosquera and Hincapie?

Benjamin Kenneth

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