Arsenal have had a season full of promise sliced to bits by repeated injury blows, the long-term fitness issues piling up leaving the Emirates Stadium physio room a crowded scene.
The Gunners have already lost a number of key players, and it feels like every injury has come with a months-long recovery time, putting additional strain on the squad.
While Arsenal fans were hopeful of a challenge for multiple trophies this season, the lack of available players has left them unable to keep up with Liverpool in the Premier League title race and has eroded hope of continuing their Champions League push against giants like Real Madrid, their quarterfinal opponents.
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They were dealt yet another blow in early April as stalwart defender Gabriel Magalhaes was forced off in a midweek win over Fulham, leaving one of their top performers across the 2024/25 season on the sidelines for a considerable time.
The Sporting News has all the details from Gabriel’s injury, including the diagnosis and when he could return.
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What happened to Gabriel? Arsenal defender injured vs. Fulham
Just 16 minutes into Arsenal’s match on April 1 against Fulham, Gabriel was forced off with a muscle injury.
He pulled up while chasing back on a Fulham counter-attack and sat on the turf holding his right leg. He looked almost resigned to his fate, knowing immediately there was no choice but to come off the pitch, replaced by Jakob Kiwior.
Sure enough, the issue was a serious one, as Arsenal confirmed just two days later that his injury would leave him sidelined for the rest of the season.
When is Gabriel back from injury? Return date for Arsenal defender
Arsenal stated that the goal will be to have Gabriel ready for the start of the 2025/26 Premier League season.
“We can confirm that Gabriel Magalhaes has sustained a hamstring injury which requires surgery,” the club wrote in their official release. “Gabi will undergo a surgical repair procedure to his hamstring in the coming days, and immediately begin his recovery and rehabilitation programme, with the aim to be ready for the start of next season.”
That seems like a reasonable timeline, although it’s possible that he needs a little more time to ramp up fitness, considering there’s still the potential for him to miss some or all of Arsenal’s preseason camp depending on how his recovery progresses.
Bukayo Saka suffered a similar hamstring injury earlier this season, withdrawn in the first half of Arsenal’s win over Crystal Palace on December 21. He had surgery and did not return until, coincidentally, this very match against Fulham, coming off the bench for the final 24 minutes.
That meant Saka was out for over three months, or 99 days officially. Using that timeline, Gabriel could be ready for a return to fitness in mid-July.
It means he will likely miss Brazil’s pair of World Cup qualifiers in June, unless his recovery is much quicker than his teammate’s.
Gabriel could potentially be ready for Arsenal’s preseason tour of Hong Kong, just announced a few days prior, but it remains to be seen. They will play North London foes Tottenham on July 31, and it tracks that there will probably be a few more games added to the slate to make the trans-continental travel worthwhile.
Arsenal injury list continues to grow
Having only just welcomed Saka back from three months on the sidelines, the loss of Gabriel is a bitter pill to swallow.
Arsenal have been forced to endure a litany of injuries this season, and it feels like all of them are long-term issues, making the situation even more bleak.
They have been forced to play midfielder Mikel Merino as a striker for much of the second half of the season thanks to months-long injuries suffered by Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz plus Saka’s lengthy absence. Vital playmaker Martin Odegaard was sidelined for multiple months through the first half of the campaign, which had a visible effect on their attacking presence.
In addition, they have seen Riccardo Calafiori repeatedly cut down by injuries, while Takehiro Tomiyasu has spent much of the season on the shelf as well. Ben White missed over two months after knee surgery and still has barely seen the pitch since returning in mid-February.
Now, Gabriel will miss out on the rest of the campaign, meaning Kiwior will likely step in to fill the shoes unless Calafiori or White can find themselves fit to shift into the middle.
