Arsenal’s Gabriel Out for Remainder of Season

Following surgery on his hamstring, Arsenal defender Gabriel will miss the remainder of the season, the Premier League team stated on Thursday, severely hurting Mikel Arteta’s side. Early on in the 2-1 victory over Fulham on Tuesday, Brazilian Gabriel fell injured. He was replaced right away, the 27-year-old limping off.

With the intention of being ready for the start of next season, Gabi will have a surgical repair operation on his hamstring and start his recovery and rehabilitation programme right away. Arsenal said in a statement.

With eight games remaining, Arsenal is 12 points behind Liverpool in the championship race; next week they will play Real Madrid in the opening leg of the Champions League quarter-finals.

Along with centre back partner William Saliba, Gabriel has been Arsenal’s lynchpin in defence; the tandem helps the north London team keep the best defensive record in England’s top flight by allowing 25 goals in 30 games.

Together with goalkeeper David Raya, the two defenders had accrued more minutes than any of their colleagues in all competitions this season.

Gabriel has also scored five times in all competitions and been a major player during attacking set-ews. Following compatriot Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka, who also required surgery and missed three months, he is the third Arsenal player to sustain a significant hamstring injury.

Jurrien Timber also came off in the Fulham game with a knee problem; the Gunners were already without defenders Riccardo Calafiori, Ben White, and Takehiro Tomiyasu.

“You can picture; in one week, we lost four defensive line guys. After the Fulham game, Arteta remarked, “We still have four others that are so eager they will perform their tasks.”

Earlier this year the club also lost forwards Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus to season-ending injuries.