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The North London club are concerned that center-back Gabriel Magalhães could be sidelined for no less than four weeks after picking up a muscle problem while on international duty last week.

The Brazilian defender limped off during the Seleção's triumph against Senegal in a friendly at the Emirates Stadium on the weekend and has since returned to his team for further tests.

Club tests are still underway, and Arsenal have yet to announce the full extent of the 27-year-old absence.

That said, he is not anticipated to play for the key clash with Tottenham on the weekend or the Champions League meeting with the German giants just three days.

Possible Absence and Key Matches

There are concerns that Gabriel could miss a minimum of four weeks, possibly more, depending on the extent of the issue.

This would keep him out of key vital fixtures, such as:

• Premier League matches against the Blues and Brentford at the Emirates
• An away trip to play Villa
• The European match at Club Brugge on December 10th

Mikel Arteta's side—who presently have a significant advantage over City—then meet Wolverhampton at home before a rescheduled trip to Goodison Park on December 20th.

Significant Blow for Arsenal's Championship Bid

Losing such an influential player is a serious setback for the Gunners in their Premier League bid.

The center-back has played all minutes of the Premier League season so far and is vital to a backline that has conceded just five times in 11 outings.

Prior to the recent 2-2 draw at Sunderland, the side had kept eight straight clean sheets in all competitions.

Replacement Choices and Additional Injury Concerns

Cristhian Mosquera and fellow new signing Piero Hincapié are likely candidates to fill in for the Brazilian against Tottenham.

There are also doubts over whether forward Gyökeres will return to lead the line after missing the club's final two fixtures before the international break due to a hamstring issue.

In other news, Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann said that Havertz has suffered a “minor relapse” during his recovery from a knee injury.

Although Arteta had been optimistic about the attacker's return this weekend, Nagelsmann indicated that the German is now expected to return by the New Year.

Squad Tested to the Limit

The club saw their championship push hurt last season by a series of fitness issues and spent heavily in the summer to reinforce the team.

But, with skipper Ødegaard additionally on the absentee list—along with Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli—the team is feeling the pressure considerably.