Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes suffered an injury scare during Brazil’s win over Bolivia on Friday night.
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The 25-year-old has started just one of Arsenal’s four Premier League matches this season but is expected to feature more regularly after the international break due to injuries to Jurrien Timber and Thomas Partey, who began the campaign at right-back.
Gabriel started in Brazil’s 5-1 win over Bolivia in the first game of their World Cup qualifying campaign.
But the Arsenal defender was forced off in the closing stages of the game and was seen on the bench with an ice pack strapped to his right thigh.
Inside the opening six minutes of the first half, Gabriel was also on the receiving end of a nasty challenge as he was kneed in the chest by Bolivia midfielder Diego Bejarano.
Speaking about Gabriel’s difficult start to the new season with Arsenal, Mikel Arteta said before the international break: ‘Gabi will play a lot of games, I’m sure and it’s about bringing the competition high and try to make the team play better, better, better and better and be more dominant and win more games. That’s the purpose of all of us.’
Asked if he has explained the reasons to Gabriel, Arteta replied: ‘Yeah, especially someone that has played a lot of minutes and games with us in the last year.
‘I don’t know if he understands but I told him.
‘I think he understands the reason, whether he agrees or not, that’s something different.
‘But the best way to do it is when you play, just tell me how blind I’m wrong, I am.’
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