Arsenal faced another major setback as their talismanic defender, Gabriel Magalhaes, suffered an injury during the club’s last game of the 2023-24 Premier League this Sunday, sending a shockwave through the Brazil camp ahead of Copa America 2024. Magalhaes left the field after sustaining a leg injury in the first half of the league game against Everton.
Arsenal entered this contest with a lot at stake as they were in a see-saw points battle with Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City before the latter defeated West Ham United 1-3 at the Etihad Stadium to lift the Premier League title for the fourth season in a row. Mikel Arteta’s plan for summer was already thwarted by the absence of his star forward, Bukayo Saka who has been sidelined due to muscular pain. The English star picked up the injury during the last training period before taking on Everton.
Gabriel Magalhaes Injury Incident
Now, Arteta will most probably miss the services of Gabriel Magalhaes this summer, with the Brazilian failing to complete the full game against Everton after limping off the pitch with more than an hour left in the game. The Brazilian stopper collided with the Bees’ midfielder, Abdoulaye Doucoure and left the pitch with a lot of pain that was visible in his expression. He was instantly substituted by Oleksandr Zinchenko. Arsenal is yet to release a statement on his injury situation.
The 27-year-old is due to play in the upcoming Copa America tournament for Brazil, which is scheduled to begin in June in the USA. His participation in the soccer tournament is now doubtful after this injury situation. The Brazilian football team coach, Dorival Junior, earlier indicated how important the role of Magalhaes will be in the Copa America campaign of his team.
The Gunners’ center-back is expected to pair with Marquinhos at the back in the soccer competition. Now, with his participation in doubt, it will be a worrying situation for Brazil as they might find it difficult to form a commendable defensive line in the summer. Magalhaes’s injury might also force Arteta to evaluate his strategy and plans for the pre-season.
The Gunners now have lost two of their most trusted warriors before the end of the Premier League season, and they will also be concerned with the double injury blows before they start preparing for the next season. They handed Everton a 1-2 loss at the Emirates Stadium in the final match of the calendar year. But, it was not enough for them to pip Manchester City to the silverware, as the Cityzens finished at the top of the table with 91 points. The Gunners came second with 89 points, despite taking the fight to the final day of the season.
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