Arsenal dealt huge injury blow as Gunners confirm Gabriel set to undergo hamstring surgery and will miss rest of season

Gabriel was forced off early in Arsenal's win over Fulham on Wednesday, and the Gunners' worst fears have now been confirmed. The defender requires surgery on a hamstring problem and will not feature again in the 2024-25 campaign. The news comes ahead of Arsenal's Champions League quarter-final tie with Real Madrid and will be a massive blow for Mikel Arteta.

The club said in a statement: "Further to being substituted during our match against Fulham on Tuesday, we can confirm that Gabriel Magalhaes has sustained a hamstring injury which requires surgery. 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. Everyone at the club will be fully focused on supporting Gabi to ensure he is back to full fitness as soon as possible."

Gabriel has been one of Arsenal’s most consistent performers this season, forming a rock-solid partnership with William Saliba at the heart of the defense. Despite struggling with knee injuries earlier in the campaign—missing games in October and December—he has started 28 of Arsenal’s 30 Premier League matches this season.

His influence has been pivotal in Arsenal’s defensive success, as the club currently holds the best defensive record in the league, conceding just 25 goals so far. Losing such an integral player at this stage of the season is a significant blow to the team’s ambitions in Europe.

Gabriel’s absence adds to Arsenal’s growing list of defensive injuries, leaving Arteta with a selection headache ahead of a crucial run of fixtures. Riccardo Calafiori is already sidelined and is expected to remain out for several weeks after picking up an injury while on international duty with Italy last month. Takehiro Tomiyasu is not anticipated to return until next year following knee surgery in February. While Jurrien Timber, who only recently made his comeback after a long-term injury, was also forced off against Fulham, raising further concerns about Arsenal’s defensive depth.

With multiple key defenders unavailable, Arteta must reshuffle his backline for the upcoming fixtures, relying on available options such as Jakub Kiwior, Ben White, and Oleksandr Zinchenko to fill the gaps. They face Everton next at Goodison Park on Saturday, but a bigger test comes just three days later, when the Gunners host Real Madrid at the Emirates Stadium for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie.