Arsenal XI vs Brighton: Gabriel BACK - Starting lineup, confirmed team news, injuries for Premier League | OneFootball

Gunners get surprise injury boost as they resume Premier League title bid

Arsenal have Gabriel back from injury when they resume their Premier League title bid against Brighton.

Gabriel has been out since early November with an adductor injury but he was spotted with the Arsenal squad on their pre-match walk on Saturday morning, raising hope he is about to return.

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Mikel Arteta gave no indication that Gabriel was close to a return when he spoke about the centre-back just before Christmas.

“But hopefully as quickly as possible [he can be back], because we know the situation now we have in the backline.”

Gabriel sustained an adductor injury while playing for Brazil in November

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Kai Havertz is also closing in on a return. Havertz has not played since the opening weekend of the season because of a knee problem but the German is back in training and has been closing in on a comeback.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Arteta said Havertz was only “a matter of days rather than weeks” away from a return to action.

“Quite close,” said Arteta. “I think it will be a matter of days, not weeks. Let’s see in the next steps how he responds to that.

“But he is, again, a player that we missed a lot, a player that brings the team into a different dimension. So, I am really happy to have him back soon.”

Piero Hincapie is fit to face Brighton after missing the Carabao Cup win against Crystal Palace due to injury.

He returns to what appears to be a back three alongside William Saliba and Riccardo Calafiori as Jurrien Timber misses out and Gabriel is named on the bench following a nine-game lay-off.

Gabriel Martinelli is fit after coming off in the second half in the Carabao Cup win over Palace.

Ben White and Cristian Mosquera remain sidelined.

Confirmed team news

Arsenal XI: Raya, Saliba, Hincapie, Calafiori, Zubimendi, Rice, Merino, Odegaard, Saka, Trossard, Gyokeres