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Arsenal fear that defender Gabriel Magalhães may be out of action for at least 30 days after sustaining a thigh strain while with the national team last week.

Gabriel had to be substituted during the Seleção's 2-0 victory against Senegal in a exhibition match at the Emirates Stadium on the weekend and has since gone back to his team for additional assessments.

Medical assessments are ongoing, and Arsenal have not yet disclose the full extent of the 27-year-old layoff.

That said, he is unlikely to feature for the key clash with Tottenham on Sunday or the Champions League meeting with the German giants only three days.

Potential Layoff and Missed Fixtures

There are concerns that the defender could be out for a minimum of four weeks, perhaps more, based on the extent of the injury.

This would keep him out of several vital games, including:

• Premier League matches against Chelsea and the Bees at home
• An away match to face Aston Villa
• The European clash at Brugge on 10 December

Mikel Arteta's team—that currently hold a significant lead over City—afterwards meet Wolverhampton at the Emirates before a rearranged fixture to Everton on 20 December.

Significant Blow for The Championship Bid

Being without such an influential player would be a serious setback for Arsenal in their title bid.

The defender has played each minute of the top-flight campaign so far and is crucial to a defense that has conceded only five goals in 11 games.

Prior to the recent 2-2 draw at Sunderland, the team had recorded 8 straight clean sheets in all competitions.

Replacement Choices and Additional Injury Concerns

Mosquera and other new signing Piero Hincapié are likely candidates to fill in for the Brazilian against Tottenham.

There are also questions over whether forward Viktor Gyökeres will be back to play up front after sitting out Arsenal's last two matches before the pause due to a muscle injury.

In other news, German manager Nagelsmann said that Havertz has suffered a “minor relapse” during his recovery from a joint problem.

Although Mikel Arteta had been optimistic about the attacker's return soon, Nagelsmann suggested that Havertz is currently likely to return towards the end of the year.

Team Tested to the Maximum

Arsenal experienced their championship bid hurt last season by a succession of injuries and invested significantly in the transfer window to reinforce the team.

But, with skipper Martin Ødegaard additionally on the absentee list—along with Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli—the team is being stretched significantly.