Arsenal handed Gabriel boost after injury scare on Brazil duty
rsenal have received a fitness boost after defender Gabriel trained with his Brazil team-mates on Sunday.
The centre-back had given the Gunners a scare on Friday when he came off in the closing stages of Brazilās 5-1 win over Bolivia in World Cup qualifying.
Gabriel, who was making his senior international debut in Belem, was then seen applying ice to his right thigh while sitting on the bench.
However, the 25-year-old trained with the Brazil squad as normal in Lima on Sunday ahead of their latest qualifier against Peru on Tuesday, easing fears that he has sustained an injury.
Injury scare: Arsenal defender Gabriel came off on his senior Brazil debut against Bolivia
/ Getty ImagesThe news is a big boost for Arsenal, who have already been hit by injuries in defence during the early part of the season.
Summer signing Jurrien Timber suffered a serious knee injury on his Premier League debut against Nottingham Forest and faces months on the sidelines after surgery.
Thomas Partey, meanwhile, is currently out with a groin problem and manager Mikel Arteta said at the start of this month that the Ghana international will be sidelined for āweeksā.
Midfielder Partey had been playing at right-back during the opening weeks of the season, with Ben White partnering William Saliba in central defence.
However, White shifted back to right-back to cover the absence of Partey in the dramatic late 3-1 win over Manchester United before the international break, with Gabriel returning to join Saliba in the middle – Arsenalās familiar centre-back partnership from last seasonās title challenge – and the fit-again Oleksandr Zinchenko starting at left-back after short stints from the likes of Timber, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Jakub Kiwior.
Gabriel initially falling out of favour under Arteta was a surprising sub-plot of Arsenalās start to the new season, having started along with Saliba in the Community Shield win over Manchester City at Wembley in early August.
