{"id":314382,"date":"2026-04-06T18:23:16","date_gmt":"2026-04-06T12:53:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/?p=314382"},"modified":"2026-04-06T18:23:16","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T12:53:16","slug":"arsenal-handed-major-injury-boost-ahead-of-sporting-clash-football","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/2026\/04\/06\/arsenal-handed-major-injury-boost-ahead-of-sporting-clash-football\/","title":{"rendered":"Arsenal handed major injury boost ahead of Sporting clash | Football"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta might be eager to have Gabriel Magalhaes back at his disposal (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Arsenal have received a major boost ahead of their Champions League quarter-final first leg against Sporting, with Gabriel Magalhaes pictured back in first-team training today. <\/p>\n

Gabriel played the complete 90 minutes of Arsenal\u2019s Carabao Cup final loss to Manchester City, but was forced off injured within the side\u2019s FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Southampton.<\/p>\n

The Brazil defender appeared in some discomfort as he left the sphere with a suspected knee problem, with William Saliba sent on in his place for the ultimate 20 minutes at St Mary\u2019s.<\/p>\n

\u2018I feel he felt something,\u2019 Mikel Arteta told reporters when asked for an update on Gabriel\u2019s condition after the Gunners\u2019 elimination.<\/p>\n

\u2018I don\u2019t know exactly what it’s. We\u2019re going to should assess him.<\/p>\n

\u2018But obviously, when a player is asking to be substituted, it\u2019s never excellent news.\u2019<\/p>\n

Just two days on, though, Gabriel was spotted training as usual with the remaining of Arteta\u2019s squad and the 28-year-old seemed in good spirits as he was put through his paces at London Colney.<\/p>\n

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Gabriel was pictured out on the grass at London Colney today<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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The Brazil international was forced off within the 72nd minute against Southampton (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Leandro Trossard was also pictured participating in today\u2019s open session having seemingly recovered from a groin problem which saw the Belgian miss Saturday\u2019s trip to Southampton. <\/p>\n

One other major boost for Arsenal got here in the form of Declan Rice, who training as normal after withdrawing from England\u2019s recent friendly matches against Uruguay and Japan.<\/p>\n

Nonetheless, there remain query marks surrounding the fitness of Bukayo Saka (unspecified), Eberechi Eze (muscle), Jurrien Timber (groin) and Piero Hincapie (unspecified) ahead of Tuesday night\u2019s contest in Lisbon.<\/p>\n

Mikel Merino remains to be a way from his possible return after undergoing <\/em>surgery on a foot injury he suffered in January.<\/p>\n

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Rice trained despite pulling out of England\u2019s recent friendlies with Uruguay and Japan (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Arteta is hoping to have as a lot of his key men back as possible ahead of a vital period, with the club\u2019s quadruple and treble hopes dead and buried after successive defeats within the Carabao Cup and FA Cup. <\/p>\n

The Gunners might be trying to return to the shape they showed of their last-16 second leg with Bayer Leverkusen on the Emirates, where goals from Eze and Rice either side of half-time proved decisive.<\/p>\n

Their quarter-final opponents, Sporting, had heading out of Europe\u2019s premier competition after suffering a 3-0 defeat to Bodo\/Glimt in the primary leg of their round-of-16 tie.<\/p>\n

However the Primeira Liga champions accomplished an incredible fightback within the second leg to win 5-3 on aggregate and advance through. <\/p>\n

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Trossard was put through his paces after missing Arsenal\u2019s loss at St Mary\u2019s (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After a desperately disappointing few days for Arsenal, Arteta refused to make use of injuries as an excuse and called on his players to \u2018look themselves within the mirror\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u2018I like my players. I\u2019m not going to criticise them because we lost a game here in the style that they tried,\u2019 he said after their setback at Southampton. <\/p>\n

\u2018And the way in which they’re putting their bodies through every thing. A few of them probably didn\u2019t even should be here today. I\u2019m not going to try this. I\u2019m going to defend them greater than ever.\u2019<\/p>\n

The Spaniard added: \u2018I don\u2019t need to put any excuses across the players which might be missing or the players which might be here with issues.<\/p>\n

\u2018Let\u2019s have a look at ourselves within the mirror. <\/p>\n

\u2018Accept the situation, reveal against it, and go again to Portugal with, again, freshness, with clarity and searching forward to it.\u2019<\/p>\n

For more stories like this,\u00a0check our sport page<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Arrow<\/title>\n<\/use><\/svg>MORE: Ray Parlour tells Mikel Arteta to do away with Arsenal\u2019s \u2018deadwood\u2019 after shock FA Cup defeat<\/span><\/p>\n

Arrow<\/title>\n<\/use><\/svg>MORE: Gary Lineker makes Arsenal title claim and accuses Mikel Arteta of \u2018panicking\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

Arrow<\/title>\n<\/use><\/svg>MORE: \u2018They\u2019re not ready mentally!\u2019 Former Chelsea star makes worrying Arsenal trophy claim<\/span><\/p>\n

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