Mikel Arteta will be without Gabriel for the rest of the season after Arsenal confirmed the defender requires surgery.
Gabriel limped off 16 minutes into Tuesday night's 2-1 Premier League win over Fulham with a hamstring injury, and a scan has revealed the extent of the problem.
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"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," a statement read on the club's official website.
"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."
Arteta is facing a defensive injury crisis ahead of Saturday's lunchtime trip to Everton and next week's UEFA Champions League quarter-final meeting with Real Madrid.
Jurrien Timber was also forced off in the second half of Arsenal's win over Fulham, while Ben White and Riccardo Calafiori were ruled out before the match.
Arsenal also remain without another defender, Takehiro Tomiyasu, who has made only one appearance this season, in October against Southampton, having undergone knee surgery in February. He won't return until the end of the year, the club have confirmed.
Jakub Kiwior replaced Gabriel against Fulham, while midfielder Thomas Partey moved to right-back when Timber went off.
It is the latest blow for the Gunners in a season where they have been robbed of a number of key players through injury.
Bukayo Saka, captain Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli have all been absent for extended periods, while forwards Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus have been ruled out for the season.
Arsenal manager Arteta said following Tuesday's win: "The good thing is that it's been like this the whole season. How we have managed to be where we are with all those injuries.
"We've lost four players in the defensive line in one week. Calafiori, Ben White, Jurrien and Gabi. We have still another four that are so willing that they will do their job. We want it so much that we're going to give it a real go and we are very excited for the next week."
How will Arsenal cope without Gabriel?
The stats show Gabriel's importance to the team, with key metrics dipping when the defender is out.
The Brazilian has played 160 times in the Premier League, with the Gunners winning an impressive 63.7 per cent of those matches since his debut in 2020/21, but that figure drops to 40.9 per cent in his absence.
How Arsenal fare with/without Gabriel
| With Gabriel | Without Gabriel | |
| 160 | Matches | 22 |
|---|---|---|
| 102 | Wins | 9 |
| 25 | Draws | 6 |
| 33 | Losses | 7 |
| 1 | Average goals against | 1.2 |
| 2 | Average goals for | 1.6 |
| 63.7% | Win percentage | 40.9% |
| 2.1 | Points per match | 1.5 |
