Football General Manager
- Arsenal beat Milan 1-0
- Injuries continue to plague the Gunners
- Magalhaes and Timber were forced to sit out
Gabriel, who had only recently returned from a hamstring injury, was rested. The 27-year-old underwent surgery after sustaining the injury late last season and missed the final stretch of the 2024–25 campaign. Although the Brazilian centre-back had featured in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Watford earlier this month, Arteta made it clear that the medical team and coaching staff were exercising caution regarding his workload.
Whereas Timber, who had also been out for an extended spell, was not included in the matchday squad as he continues his rehabilitation. The Dutch defender underwent surgery shortly before the conclusion of the 2024/25 season and has yet to return to full training.
Arteta offered a status report during his post-match press conference: “Jurrien is still not there, he’s not fully trained yet with us, and Gabi had a little niggle the other day in training, and because of the fact that he’s been out for so long as well, we have to manage him, I mean, we’ve been in Spain, different pitch, different conditions, go to the UK, different ones come here, and there are a lot of changes, so we have to minimise the risk with him.”
The Gunners’ tour of Asia continues with an open training session scheduled for Friday in Singapore, giving local fans a chance to see their stars up close. Arteta and his staff are expected to assess both Gabriel and Timber during the session, though neither is likely to be rushed into full-intensity drills. Their next match will be against Premier League rivals Newcastle United on Sunday, also in Singapore. After that, Arsenal will travel to Hong Kong, where they are set to face off against Tottenham Hotspur next Thursday.
