After Gabriel injury, Darren Bent issues verdict on Arsenal’s chances against Real Madrid in the Champions League

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Arsenal will host Real Madrid at the Emirates in the Champions League without star defender Gabriel Magalhaes.

Gabriel was forced off the pitch with a hamstring injury against Fulham on Tuesday, and while there’s yet to be official confirmation, he’s unlikely to be fit to face Los Blancos.

The injury adds to Arsenal’s growing list of fitness issues this season, with Mikel Arteta’s squad overwhelmed with an abundance of set-backs throughout the campaign.

The Brazilian will be a huge loss for the Gunners, and his absence may force Arteta to use Jakub Kiwior at the heart of the North Londoners’ back-line against the European champions.

• READ MORE: Three immediate replacements for Gabriel Magalhaes as Arsenal star forced off with injury against Fulham ahead of Real Madrid

Darren Bent issues verdict on Arsenal’s chances against Real Madrid

Gabriel’s wife confirmed the player’s injury on Wednesday night, revealing that the defender had missed Amazon Prime’s premiere of Married to the Game because of his setback.

The former Lille man joins Arsenal’s injury list that already contains Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Riccardo Calafiori, Ben White and possibly Jurrien Timber.

Timber also went down injured against Fulham, and there’s yet to be an update about the Dutchman’s condition.

Speaking on talkSPORT on Wednesday about Arsenal’s injury issues, former Spurs striker Darren Bent gave his verdict on the Gunners’ chances of overcoming Real Madrid.

“Badly, really bad,” Bent said.

“I mean if you look at the Premier League, they’ve conceded two fewer goals than Liverpool. So they’ve got the defensive record in the league… I thought Arsenal had a chance against Real Madrid, and it was a slim chance because Arsenal look rock solid at the back, defensively they are rock solid.

“When you lose Timber and Gabriel, you start to think hmm. Jakub Kiwior has done better than he was doing when he first got there, but still that won’t get it done and you’re right, in some respects that’s a bigger blow than losing Saka.”

Arsenal can still beat Real Madrid without Gabriel

While Arsenal will have to adapt their approach without Gabriel, they can still progress into the semi-final without their wall at the back.

If White is fit, then Arteta can deploy Timber at centre-back and bring the Englishman in at right-back.

While the Gunners will undoubtedly lose some of their defensive solidity with this set-up, White’s overlapping runs and combinations with Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard could add another layer to their attack.

Arsenal conceded just one non-penalty goal in the league phase of the Champions League, so even if they are somewhat less secure at the back, they’ll still be excellent defensively and can pose a more threatening attack with White.

The odds are certainly now stacked against Arteta’s team, but they shouldn’t be throwing in the towel.