Arsenal have been dealt a major blow ahead of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final clash against defending champions Real Madrid, with five key first-team players ruled out due to injuries.
All but one of the sidelined players are expected to miss the remainder of the season, intensifying the Gunners’ injury woes at a crucial stage of the campaign.
Among those ruled out of Tuesday’s showdown are Takehiro Tomiyasu, Kai Havertz, Riccardo Calafiori, Gabriel Jesus, and most recently, Gabriel Magalhaes.
Major Setbacks
Gabriel Magalhaes, arguably Arsenal’s standout performer this season, sustained a hamstring injury during the club’s Premier League fixture against Fulham last Tuesday. The Brazilian defender will now miss the rest of the season, leaving a big gap in Mikel Arteta’s defensive setup.
Midfielder Kai Havertz, who has also been instrumental this season, is sidelined with a hamstring issue as well. His absence has opened the door for Belgian forward Leandro Trossard to take up more responsibility in Arsenal’s attack.
Takehiro Tomiyasu has been ruled out for the rest of the season due to a knee injury, while Gabriel Jesus, who has been out for weeks, is nursing an ACL injury and will also not return this campaign.
Defender Riccardo Calafiori remains a doubt for the Real Madrid clash. While not officially ruled out for the season, his availability for Tuesday is highly uncertain.
Arteta Faces Tactical Test for Real Madrid clash
With several regular starters out of contention, manager Mikel Arteta faces a significant tactical challenge.
In the absence of Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba is expected to partner Jakub Kiwior in central defence — a duo that showed promise in last weekend’s win over Everton.
There could also be a positional reshuffle, with Thomas Partey potentially dropping into the right-back role, while youngster Myles Lewis-Skelly might be called upon to cover the opposite flank.
The midfield trio of Declan Rice, Jorginho, and captain Martin Odegaard will likely shoulder the creative and defensive burden in the center of the park.
Up front, Arsenal will rely on Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, and Leandro Trossard to provide the attacking spark and firepower needed to break through Real Madrid’s resilient defence — and possibly secure the club’s first Champions League semi-final appearance since 2009.
As the Gunners prepare to face Europe’s elite, the weight of expectation now rests heavily on Arteta’s makeshift squad to deliver under pressure.
Discussion about this post