Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has given his verdict on Gabriel Magalhaes and Riccardo Calafiori as the pair missed the clash against Man United through injury.
It comes as the manager has been forced to ring the changes at the Emirates Stadium for such a big match.
Mikel Arteta has brought in Oleksandr Zinchenko and Jakub Kiwior, with Gabriel and Calafiori out through injury.
Arsenal will need to be at their very best to overcome Man United, with the head coach giving his verdict on the injured duo missing out.
Mikel Arteta on Gabriel Magalhaes and Riccardo Calafiori injury
Arsenal boss Arteta was asked about the absence of the duo of Gabriel and Calafiori, which came as huge blows to the side.
When discussing the team changes on Amazon Prime Video, he said: “This is the season, we play every two days, it’s impossible to maintain everybody fit.
“We lost Gabi [Gabriel] and Ricci [Calafiori]. So having consistency at the back is tricky.
“Opportunity for another player to show up and there’s not a better game to do that. I trust my players.”
It shows the difficulty of the season, with such a huge fixture list and the congestion of highly competitive matches.
However, it’s the moment in which the squad depth has to show they are worthy of a place and can step up in those huge games.
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Gabriel Magalhaes injury impacts Premier League record
With a huge injury for Gabriel Magalhaes, his record in the Premier League has come to an end, with his consecutive match run.
The Brazilian had played 41 consecutive league games, a run that underlined his importance to the side since returning to the side.
His recent goals from set-pieces have shown how much of a giant Gabriel can be, with an aggressive nature that makes him tough to stop.
Whether the Gunners can perform without their giant at the back remains to be seen, with Kiwior and Zinchenko having to show they can fill that void.
There will be some hope that Gabriel is back and available once again to face Fulham in the next clash on Sunday.
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