How much will Arsenal miss Gabriel and who may replace him?

After Mikel Arteta revealed on Friday that Arsenal defender Gabriel has been ruled out for "a few weeks" due to an injury picked up while on international duty with Brazil, football writer Adrian Clarke analyses how much the centre-back will be missed and who could replace him.

Gabriel has been an ever-present for Arsenal in Premier League matches this season, performing with great leadership and personality in the centre of defence.  

Since the start of 2024/25 the Brazilian has largely outshone William Saliba alongside him, defending his own box with conviction, while also leading the charge at attacking set-pieces.  

Mikel Arteta’s back four work well in unison of course, but when they are put under pressure, it is Gabriel who usually steps up to make an intervention.  

The 27-year-old has made 16 more headed clearances than Saliba and is the joint second-highest player in the division when it comes to making blocks.  

Whenever they are stretched he is often the man who intervenes.  

Gabriel’s determination and huge desire to protect his own goalkeeper will be sorely missed while he is out injured.  

Arsenal players most clearances and blocks, 25/26

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The north London derby tends to be a feisty, physical affair and with Thomas Frank adding more defensive robustness to the Tottenham Hotspur side, Sunday’s encounter is expected to be physical in nature.  

To earn the right to dominate this match, Arsenal must fight fire with fire early on, and that means dominating individual battles.  

Compared with Arteta’s other centre-back options, Gabriel and Saliba are far and away the strongest duel winners, winning over 66 per cent apiece.  

Summer signing Cristhian Mosquera is the next best on 59.09 per cent.  

Arsenal defenders duel success rate, 25/26

Set-piece advantage will be reduced

There is no player more dangerous from corners and wide free-kicks than Gabriel.  

Since he joined the Gunners in September 2020, he has scored five more goals than any other top-flight defender.  

There is nobody better at evading their marker to attack a corner-kick delivery than Arsenal’s centre-back, who has four more set-piece goals than any other players across the same period.  

Most goals since September 2020

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Set-piece coach Nicolas Jover will need to devise a new plan, as most of Arsenal’s deliveries are aimed for Gabriel, who scored a valuable late winner at Newcastle United earlier on this season.  

Watch: Gabriel's winner v Newcastle

As you can see from these shot maps dating back to the start of 2024/25, Gabriel gets on the end of far more crosses than fellow centre-back Saliba.  

If there is a like-for-like swap in terms of their main goal threat, Arsenal may turn to Riccardo Calafiori, who attacks the ball excellently too.  

A boost for Spurs

Spurs will be relieved Arsenal are without Gabriel because he has been outstanding in recent north London derbies.  

The Brazilian effectively scored from corners in both Premier League meetings last season, although Dominic Solanke was credited with an own goal at Emirates Stadium.  

For that strike the defender ran off Radu Dragusin from the penalty spot to meet Declan Rice’s corner at the far post, as you can see below.

Gabriel also scored the winner away to Spurs last September, running away from Cristian Romero on the penalty spot to head home from the centre of the six-yard box.  

Watch: Gabriel's winner v Spurs, 24/25

Arsenal will miss his brilliance in these situations on Sunday afternoon, as well as his passion to deliver big performances in the fixture.  

The last three league games between these two local rivals have seen Gabriel walk away with the Player of the Match award on each occasion.

Other matches Gabriel could miss

If the Arsenal defender is ruled out until the beginning of January, he is set to miss a minimum 11 games, including eight Premier League matches. 

A title-defining encounter at home to Liverpool on 8 January is also looming on the horizon, so Mikel Arteta would love to have Gabriel back for that one.  

The matches Gabriel could miss

In addition to this Sunday’s derby, Arsenal will not have their best defender available for tricky away tests at Chelsea and Aston Villa, and at home to a Brentford side who will likely target Arsenal with an aerial bombardment of their box. 

How do Arsenal fare when Gabriel and Saliba aren't playing together? 

Gabriel missed the last two months of last season through injury, with the now departed Jakub Kiwior covering for him.  

By and large the Gunners coped well, but tellingly they only won two of their last seven games and some of those defeats included both legs of their UEFA Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain.  

Arsenal's results after Gabriel's injury, April-May 2025

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When you look at last season in isolation, Arsenal only won four of their 12 Premier League matches when Gabriel and Saliba did not start together.  

That 33.3 per cent win rate is well below the 61.5 per cent success rate across the other 26 games.  

Looking at the date over a longer period, since the start of 2022/23, there has been a stark difference.  

The Gunners concede a lot more goals, win fewer matches and earn significantly less points when they are split up.  

Arsenal stats with/without Gabriel and Saliba since 22/23

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Who will replace him against Spurs?

Unlike in previous years, Arteta now has plenty of defensive cover.

This means there are quality options at his disposal for this awkward run of matches.

Mosquera is likely to start at centre-back, having impressed during his first 12 appearances for the club.

The 21-year-old was shaky at Newcastle, but did produce a calm and largely outstanding display at Anfield after coming on early in place of Saliba.  

He prefers to play on the right of a two but can adjust if necessary, so if Mosquera gets the nod, it will be interesting to see if he operates on the left or right.  

For balance, Arteta could instead opt for one of his left-footed defenders alongside Saliba, in Piero Hincapie or Calafiori.   

Hincapie is the quickest of all Arsenal defenders, having produced a top speed of 33.41km/h this season, and is also very aggressive.  

Arsenal defenders' top speed, 25/26

With just 26 minutes of Premier League experience under Hincapie's belt though, it could be deemed a risky selection.  

The alternative is to bring Myles Lewis-Skelly back in the starting line-up at left-back, sliding Calafiori inside.  

It is a position Calafiori performs in for Italy, but Arteta prefers to use his dynamism down the flank.  

The decision Arteta makes over who comes in for Gabriel, in a match of great importance that could set the tone for weeks to come, is one of the biggest of his managerial career.  

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