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Arsenal are concerned that center-back Gabriel Magalhães could be unavailable for at least four weeks after suffering a muscle problem while playing for Brazil recently.

Gabriel was forced off during Brazil's win against Senegal in a exhibition match at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday and has since gone back to his team for further assessments.

Medical tests are continuing, and Arsenal have not yet announce the full duration of the 27-year-old time out.

That said, he is unlikely to play for the upcoming North London derby on the weekend or the European fixture with the German giants just afterwards.

Possible Layoff and Missed Matches

There are concerns that the defender could miss at least one month, perhaps longer, depending on the severity of the injury.

That could rule him out of key crucial games, such as:

• Premier League fixtures against the Blues and the Bees at home
• An away trip to face Aston Villa
• The Champions League match at Club Brugge on 10 December

The Arsenal side—who presently hold a four-point advantage over Manchester City—then face Wolves at the Emirates before a rescheduled fixture to Goodison Park on December 20th.

Significant Blow for The Championship Bid

Losing Gabriel would be a major problem for the Gunners in their Premier League push.

This center-back has played all minutes of the top-flight season so far and is vital to a defense that has conceded only five goals in 11 outings.

Before the recent 2-2 draw at Sunderland, the side had kept eight consecutive clean sheets in every tournament.

Cover Options and Other Fitness Concerns

Cristhian Mosquera and other summer arrival Piero Hincapié are in contention to fill in for Gabriel against Tottenham.

Additionally, there are questions over whether striker Gyökeres will be back to lead the line after sitting out Arsenal's final two fixtures before the international break due to a hamstring issue.

In other news, German manager Nagelsmann stated that Kai Havertz has suffered a “slight setback” during his recovery from a knee injury.

Although Arteta had been optimistic about the player's comeback soon, the national team boss indicated that the German is now expected to return in late December.

Squad Stretched to the Limit

Arsenal experienced their championship bid undermined previously by a succession of fitness issues and spent heavily in the summer to strengthen the squad.

However, with captain Martin Ødegaard also on the injured list—along with Madueke and Martinelli—the squad is under strain to the limit.