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The North London club worry that defender Gabriel Magalhães could be out of action for at least 30 days after picking up a thigh strain while on international duty recently.

Gabriel was forced off during the Seleção's triumph against Senegal in a friendly at the Emirates Stadium on the weekend and has since returned to his team for more examinations.

Medical examinations are continuing, and the club have not yet confirm the full extent of the defender's time out.

However, he is unlikely to feature for the key clash with Tottenham on Sunday or the European fixture with Bayern Munich only later.

Potential Layoff and Missed Fixtures

There are concerns that Gabriel could be out for a minimum of four weeks, perhaps longer, depending on the nature of the strain.

This would see him miss of multiple vital matches, such as:

• Premier League fixtures against Chelsea and the Bees at the Emirates
• An road match to face Aston Villa
• The Champions League match at Brugge on December 10th

The Arsenal team—that presently have a four-point lead over City—then face Wolverhampton at the Emirates before a rescheduled trip to Goodison Park on December 20th.

Major Setback for The Championship Bid

Losing Gabriel would be a serious blow for Arsenal in their Premier League push.

The defender has featured in every minute of the top-flight season so far and is vital to a defense that has let in only five goals in 11 outings.

Before the latest tie at Sunderland, the team had recorded 8 straight clean sheets in all competitions.

Replacement Options and Additional Injury Worries

Mosquera and fellow new signing Piero Hincapié are likely candidates to replace the Brazilian against Spurs.

Additionally, there are questions over whether striker Gyökeres will be back to play up front after sitting out Arsenal's final two matches before the pause due to a hamstring injury.

Meanwhile, Germany coach Nagelsmann stated that Kai Havertz has experienced a “slight setback” during his comeback from a knee injury.

Although Arteta had been hopeful about the player's comeback this weekend, the national team boss suggested that the German is currently expected to return in late December.

Squad Stretched to the Maximum

Arsenal experienced their title bid undermined last season by a succession of injuries and invested significantly in the transfer window to reinforce the team.

However, with skipper Ødegaard also on the absentee list—along with Noni Madueke and Martinelli—the team is being stretched considerably.