Six Arsenal players out of international duty

Arsenal’s injury list has deepened ahead of the upcoming international window, with six first-team players now unavailable for national-team duty after defender Gabriel Magalhaes became the latest to withdraw. The Brazilian centre-back has been ruled out of Brazil’s friendlies against France and Croatia in the United States after reporting pain in his right knee, the Brazilian Football Federation confirmed. Imaging tests validated the complaint, prompting the CBF to release the 28-year-old from the squad.

Gabriel’s absence follows a demanding spell for the Gunners: he completed the full 90 minutes in Sunday’s 2-0 Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester City at Wembley. His withdrawal compounds a growing list of enforced omissions for Mikel Arteta’s side, who remain nine points clear at the Premier League summit despite the cup setback.

Fellow centre-half William Saliba has also been excused from France’s travelling party for the same US-based friendlies, leaving Les Bleus without a key defensive pillar for meetings with Brazil and Colombia. Across the corridor at London Colney, England midfielder Eberechi Eze has succumbed to a calf injury sustained in Arsenal’s 2-0 Champions League last-16 second-leg victory over Bayer Leverkusen. The issue forced him to miss the Wembley showpiece and has since led to his withdrawal from Thomas Tuchel’s 35-man squad for upcoming friendlies against Uruguay and Japan. Arsenal medical staff are awaiting fresh scan results to determine the severity of the complaint.

In a ripple effect, Ben White has been drafted into the England setup as cover for Eze, ensuring the Three Lions retain a Gunners representative despite the spate of pull-outs. Belgium, too, will be without Arsenal winger Leandro Trossard, who has been sidelined with an unspecified injury for the Red Devils’ encounters with the United States and Mexico.

Club captain Martin Odegaard had already been ruled out of Norway’s plans due to a knee problem, while Dutch defender Jurrien Timber continues his rehabilitation and will not feature for the Netherlands. The cumulative absences leave Arteta juggling resources as Arsenal chase a first Premier League crown in 22 years.

The Gunners return to action on 4 April in an FA Cup quarter-final against Southampton, host Sporting in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final three days later, and then face Bournemouth in the league on 11 April.