Arsenal will have to navigate the remainder of the season without the injured Gabriel Magalhaes.
Gabriel sustained a hamstring injury during Tuesday night’s Premier League meeting with Fulham, which saw him come off after just 15 minutes.
Arsenal have now confirmed that the Brazil international is set to undergo surgery on his injury in the coming days, after which he will undergo rehabilitation.
The aim is for Gabriel ‘to be ready for the start of next season’, the Gunners confirmed in a statement.
In recent days, there have been calls from some Arsenal fans for Declan Rice to play at centre-back in Gabriel’s absence.
Mikel Arteta, speaking to reporters ahead of Saturday’s Premier League meeting with Everton, revealed whether he’s willing to play Rice in defence.
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Mikel Arteta willing to use Declan Rice at centre-back for Arsenal but ‘hopefully it won’t be needed’
Arteta said he would “for sure” play Rice at centre-back if needed, noting how the midfielder has played there before.
However, the Arsenal boss suggested that this would only be a last resort, implying he’ll look to use his other defenders first.
“We would for sure,” Arteta told the Arsenal media team if he was willing to play Rice in defence.
“We tried against PSV away last season and he’s played in that position and hopefully it won’t be needed.
“But if it is, he’s a player who is capable of doing that.”
Declan Rice’s experience at centre-back
Although Rice is a midfielder by trade, he often played at centre-back for West Ham.
| Position | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| Defensive Midfield | 259 | 18 | 16 |
| Centre-Back | 53 | – | 1 |
| Central Midfield | 50 | 9 | 15 |
| Left-Back | 2 | – | – |
| Right-Back | 1 | – | – |
Rice has played 53 times at in that position, more than he has played as a No. 8 during his club career.
He also featured at centre-back on his first ever senior international appearance, playing in defence for the Republic of Ireland in their 1-0 friendly win over Turkiye in March 2018.
However, it’s understandable why Arteta appears reluctant to do so – taking Rice out of midfield would weaken Arsenal considerably.
Arsenal have four primary options to replace Gabriel between now and the end of the season.
