Arsenal's Battle Plan: How the Gunners Can Thrive Despite Gabriel's Injury Blow
Arsenal have frequently found themselves frustrated by injury setbacks throughout Mikel Arteta's tenure, and more bad news emerged during the November international window as Gabriel joined the injury list.
A right thigh problem sustained during Brazil's friendly win against Senegal has ruled out the central defender. Gabriel has been vital to Arsenal's campaign this season through his defensive solidity and goal threat from dead-ball situations.
Though the exact extent of his injury is still unclear, initial assessments indicate he could be out for one to two months, potentially missing up to 15 games for Arsenal. Such an extended period on the sidelines would be a major blow to their trophy ambitions, which may depend on a strong winter schedule.
The north London club face three tough matches upon returning from the international break—a derby against local rivals Tottenham Hotspur before encounters with Bayern Munich and Chelsea. Gabriel might also miss numerous crucial games following the visit to Stamford Bridge.
Here are three potential replacements for the key defender in Arsenal's backline.
Cristhian Mosquera
The most natural substitute for Gabriel, who has started every Premier League and Champions League fixture this season, is Cristhian Mosquera. The summer addition was brought in from Valencia precisely for these circumstances and has already appeared 12 times for the Gunners this campaign.
The Spanish defender excelled when thrown into action to cover for William Saliba earlier in the season, delivering solid performances against Liverpool, Nottingham Forest and Athletic Club—two of those outings resulted in clean sheets.
The promising 21-year-old has quickly demonstrated his value and while he won't be disrupting the solid partnership between Saliba and Gabriel anytime soon, he has gained Arteta's confidence as their prepared substitute.
He might be slightly match-rusty having been used infrequently in recent matches for the Gunners, but he's demonstrated he possesses the ability to slot into Arsenal's defense when needed.
Piero Hincapié
Arsenal's other defensive acquisition has rarely featured this campaign. Injury issues stopped Piero Hincapié from making an instant impact following his move to English football, restricting him to only five total appearances.
The Ecuadorian played twice for his national team during the international period and has been deployed as both a centre back and left back for Arsenal's reserve team. With extensive experience at Bayer Leverkusen, though primarily in a three-man defense, Hincapié should be capable of stepping into Arteta's starting eleven without major complications.
The benefit of Hincapié is his left-footed nature, which is helpful though not crucial when positioned on the left side of defense. The South American's pace and aggression are also valuable qualities against top-class attackers in the upcoming fixtures.
Riccardo Calafiori
Similar to Hincapié, Riccardo Calafiori has the versatility to play at centre back or left back. The latter position is where he's been deployed this season, establishing himself ahead of Myles Lewis-Skelly in the hierarchy to start all 11 Premier League fixtures.
Calafiori is a skilled centre back, but shifting him from left back carries risks. Further unsettling the defense that has served Arsenal so well this season might not be prudent, particularly given there are other options who can step into Gabriel's role.
Naturally, Lewis-Skelly has shown himself as a competent left back and would have no trouble returning to the Premier League starting lineup to enable Calafiori to move inside, but it could be a risk worth avoiding for Arteta.
For the match against Tottenham, Calafiori is also carrying an injury concern—though he should be available.