Due to an injury scare that both Arsenal and the national team considered too serious for him to play in his country’s friendlies, Gabriel Magalhaes has withdrawn from the Brazil squad.
Football london narrates that after starting the season on the bench and having Thomas Partey join the back four instead, Gabriel has become an indispensable member of the Gunners’ first squad.
His performances are as steady as they have ever been in his North London career, and his partnership with William Saliba has shown to be among the best in the league.
Having learned from his foolish mistakes, he has become a leader among players in his position in Europe.
Since his arrival in 2020, he has scored more goals than any other defender in the league, demonstrating the importance of his set-piece goal-scoring abilities.
Football.london is aware that the player’s withdrawal is a precautionary measure and is not expected to have a significant impact, but there is still a chance he may miss the match away at Manchester City.
We now examine the three possible successors to him in the starting lineup.
Jakub Kiwior
Jakub Kiwior, who excelled when playing out of position at left-back, is a great prospect to replace Gabriel at left center-half, where he will feel more at ease.
The Pole has grown quickly, but he has never had the chance to flourish in the more conventional role that he held with Poland and at Spezia.
He would have to be replaced at left back by someone like Oleksandr Zinchenko, but this is much easier to do given the depth Arsenal has in their squad.
Since Gabriel’s injury is not expected to be too serious and his absence from Brazil is more of a precaution, Kiwior should only be needed temporarily.
Takehiro Tomiyasu
Takehiro Tomiyasu could play the left-sided center-half position that he has excelled in for his country now that he has rejoined the team following yet another layoff.
Hence, Kiwior might stay at center-half, and Saliba and Tomiyasu get along well outside the football field.London recognizes that they can now be realized on the field.
Although starting most of his games at full back, Tomiyasu has demonstrated excellent defensive awareness. He excels when not in possession, which is encouraging for a move into the center of the back line.
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Once more, Mikel Arteta has a wealth of options, assuming he can maintain his fitness, which has always been the main concern.
Jurrien Timber
There’s excitement that Jurrien Timber might finally be included in the starting lineup for competitive games as the international break comes to an end.
With Gabriel out, Timber, if he is considered ready, could replace Saliba and Ben White at right-back, creating a new center-half duo that both players find very comfortable playing with.
An athlete such as Timber appears to be ideal for the inverted right-back position.
On paper at least, a shift involving both White and Saliba seems to make the most sense. However, Timber could also play in the back two, having spent his entire career playing at center-half for Ajax.
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