Arsenal left sweating after star defender withdraws from international duty through injury

Brazil have confirmed that Arsenal centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes has withdrawn from the squad for this month's international fixtures through injury.

Gabriel's call-up was a well-earned reward for an outstanding run of form which has seen him blossom into a real leader in Arsenal's defence, helping the Gunners take the lead in the race for the Premier League title.

However, Brazil boss Dorival Junior has left Arsenal fans sweating by revealing that Gabriel has now left his squad after complaining of an injury.

"I had already communicated previously that we work with a slightly more extensive list. A pre-call, we can put it that way, and again, today, we had another casualty," the Brazil manager revealed. "Unfortunately, Gabriel Magalhaes is uncalled. In his place, we are calling Bremer, from Juventus, from Italy."

Arsenal face Premier League title rivals Manchester City after the international break comes to a close, and it remains to be seen whether Gabriel will be healthy enough to play a major role in that game.

Fortunately for Arsenal fans, reports have suggested that Gabriel's withdrawal from the Brazil squad was largely precautionary.

The South American outfit have no competitive fixtures this month, instead facing England and Spain in friendlies, and so they are believed to have allowed Gabriel to return to Arsenal for further checks on his issue.

26-year-old Gabriel has been one of Arsenal's top players this season, racking up 38 appearances in all competitions despite actually beginning the campaign as a reserve.

The centre-back confirmed last month that manager Mikel Arteta had to convince him to stay at Arsenal this summer after dropping him to the bench. Injuries handed Gabriel a route back into the starting lineup and the Brazilian has never looked back.

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