Arsenal Suffer Major Injury Concerns Ahead of Madrid Showdown

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·02 de abril de 2025

Arsenal Suffer Major Injury Concerns Ahead of Madrid Showdown

Arsenal Injury Update: Gabriel and Timber Doubts Ahead of Real Madrid Clash

Fresh Injury Fears for Arsenal Defence

Just as Arsenal appeared to be approaching full strength, Mikel Arteta’s side has been hit with another defensive setback. With a Champions League quarter-final first leg against Real Madrid looming, the Gunners were dealt a double blow during their 2-1 win over Fulham — Gabriel and Jurrien Timber both suffering fresh injury concerns.

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Vídeos OneFootball

Gabriel, a cornerstone of Arteta’s defensive structure this season, was forced off in the first half after sustaining a hamstring injury. Though he briefly attempted to play through the discomfort as Fulham pressed forward, the Brazilian was eventually substituted and headed straight down the tunnel. Jakub Kiwior came on in his place, but the focus immediately shifted to whether Gabriel will recover in time for Real Madrid’s visit to north London.

Timber, only recently back from a long-term knee injury, also raised concern. The Dutch defender initially played on after going down in the first half, but his movement clearly deteriorated after the interval. He was eventually forced off with what Arteta later confirmed as another issue concerning his knee.

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Arteta Offers Cautious Update

Speaking after the match, Arteta addressed the mounting concern surrounding his backline.

“The downside is Gabi and Jurrien,” he said. “We don’t know how they are going to be. We will be assessing them tomorrow and understand better how we are with those two.

“If there are two players in this team who never want to come off, it’s those two probably. Gabi felt something in his hamstring, we don’t know how big that is.

“And with Jurrien as well. He already was struggling very early in the game. He managed to continue and at some point he couldn’t. That’s the downside. Jurrien was a knee [injury].”

Defensive Depth Under Pressure

Arsenal are now navigating a worrying lack of options in defence. Takehiro Tomiyasu and Riccardo Calafiori remain sidelined — the latter picking up a knee issue while on international duty with Italy. Ben White also missed the Fulham fixture due to what Arteta described as a “niggle”.

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It is a situation that has become familiar to Arteta this season, with several first-team players enduring extended spells on the sidelines.

“You see Martinelli today, we missed him for three months. You see Bukayo, four months. Kai [Havertz] four months, Gabi Jesus almost the whole season,” he noted. “Ben White hasn’t participated at all this season. It is what it is.”

Grit Amid Setbacks

Despite the injuries, Arteta struck a note of defiance.

“We want it so much that we’re going to give it a real go,” he said. “We lose four players in the defensive line in one week. Calafiori, Ben White, Jurrien and Gabi. We have still another four that they are so willing that they will do the job.”

With a Champions League campaign hanging in the balance, Arsenal’s defensive resilience may face its sternest test yet.