William Saliba is likely to miss Arsenal’s upcoming clash with Nottingham Forest at the Emirates, but he’s not the only one whose fitness is being questioned.
Before the September international break, Arsenal lost 1-0 to Liverpool, a match in which Saliba lasted only four minutes.
Mikel Arteta didn’t hesitate to hook Saliba, who was injured in the warm-up before the fixture even kicked off.
The Frenchman withdrew from international duty and has been resting since, while his centre-back partner, Gabriel Magalhaes, has been racking up his air miles.
Though Gabriel only featured against Chile during the international break and was rested against Bolivia, there’s talk that the defender could face a struggle ahead of the meeting with Nottingham Forest.
Gabriel Magalhaes could struggle for fitness ahead of Arsenal’s clash with Nottingham Forest
It was an eventful international break for Brazil, with Gabriel and Gabriel Martinelli writing themselves into unwanted history, as the Selecao recorded their worst-ever qualification campaign.
Aside from the national team’s struggles on the pitch, the Arsenal pair were tested by something else, as the altitude in Bolivia required some adaptation for the players.
Where Brazil faced Bolivia was over 4,000 metres above sea level, and though Gabriel and Martinelli didn’t feature, they were present at the game on the bench.
The stark change in altitude was a topic of conversation for Adrian Clarke on his YouTube channel when previewing the Forest clash.
“There was talk that Gabriel, who has been playing up in altitude, might struggle to be fit,” Clarke revealed.
He continued by sharing his optimism that missing the fixture might’ve spared Gabriel any additional need for recovery.
“He did miss the game; he was only on the bench, so hopefully, he will get back safe and sound and be okay to play.”
Even without the altitude issue, Gabriel has faced a lot of travelling over the break, which isn’t ideal before a lunchtime kick-off on Saturday.
Arsenal need Gabriel more than ever for Forest
With 21-year-old Cristhian Mosquera likely to replace Saliba, it’s vital that the experienced head of Gabriel is available to support the summer signing.
Mosquera is more than capable of the task, as he showed at Anfield; however, on matchday four, one of the Premier League’s most dangerous forwards visits N5.
Chris Wood was named alongside Gabriel in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year after scoring 20 goals last season.
The New Zealand international’s strength, clinical streak and experience are something Gabriel will thrive on testing himself against, making the Brazilian’s involvement all the more crucial.
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