LONDON, England: Arsenal are expected to be without defensive lynchpin, Gabriel Magalhaes, when they host London rivals, Tottenham Hotspur, on Sunday as Manchester City seek to keep up the pressure on the Premier League leaders.
Club boss, Mikel Arteta, has a major headache as he considers how to reshuffle his defence against Spurs in the likely absence of the injured Gabriel.
The Brazilian has been at the heart of the near-impregnable Gunners back line that has conceded just five goals in 11 Premier League matches.
But reports suggest he could be sidelined for weeks after suffering a thigh injury during Brazil’s 2-0 friendly win over Senegal at the Emirates Stadium last weekend.
Gabriel, who has formed a formidable central defensive partnership with William Saliba and is also a threat from set-pieces, is likely to be replaced by Piero Hincapie or Cristhian Mosquera.
The Gunners are four points clear of Manchester City after they drew 2-2 with Sunderland earlier this month, ending a streak of eight wins in all competitions with no goals conceded.
Arsenal remain favourites to secure a first Premier League title since 2003/04 and have an eye-catching record against their London rivals – losing just once in the league at home to Tottenham since 1993.
But Spurs travel to the Emirates boasting the best away record in the league this season – with four wins and a draw from five games. – AFP
