Six Arsenal pillars suffer injuries while competing for the title with Man City

Arsenal encounters a serious staffing problem right at the pivotal phase of the campaign when numerous players are unable to concentrate on the national team duties this period.

Center-back Gabriel Magalhaes is one of six Arsenal players who have withdrawn from the national team training camp citing injury-related reasons, raising concerns about the physical condition of the London club during the vital part of the season.

The Brazilian star joins the list of Arsenal players unavailable for national team duty this round, including William Saliba, Leandro Trossard, Jurrien Timber, and Eberechi Eze. Previously, captain Martin Ødegaard was also excluded from Norway's call-up list as he is recovering from a knee injury.

The severity of the injuries remains unclear at this point. However, the withdrawals of Gabriel, Saliba, and Trossard are considered more precautionary than mandatory.

Specifically, Gabriel withdrew from coach Carlo Ancelotti's squad for the Brazil national team's friendly matches against France and Croatia, citing pain in his right knee following the defeat to Manchester City in the recent League Cup final.

The Brazilian Football Confederation confirmed via a statement: "Imaging tests show Gabriel Magalhães is not fit to participate in this FIFA Days period. We will not call up a replacement player."

Meanwhile, William Saliba, who partnered Gabriel as center-back in the final, also withdrew from the French national team. The French Football Federation confirmed that the player is experiencing a recurrence of a left ankle issue, requiring treatment and a minimum rest period of 10 days. Defender Maxence Lacroix has been called up to replace Saliba.

In the forward line, Leandro Trossard, who played 82 minutes in the final, also requested withdrawal from the Belgium national team after discussions between the Belgian Football Association and Arsenal, due to a recent hip area problem.

Earlier, Jurrien Timber and Eberechi Eze were also forced to withdraw from the Netherlands and England national team lists. Both were absent from the League Cup final due to injuries, with Eze expected to undergo detailed assessment next week to determine the extent of his calf injury.

On the opposite side, right-back Ben White has been recalled to the England national team for the first time since the 2022 Qatar World Cup, after ending his "self-imposed exile." White replaces Jarell Quansah in coach Thomas Tuchel's squad for the final training camp ahead of the summer World Cup.

Previously, White left the "Three Lions" training camp during the group stage of the 2022 World Cup for personal reasons, reportedly related to a conflict with assistant coach Steve Holland under manager Gareth Southgate.

Regarding Martin Ødegaard, the Norwegian midfielder has only played once for Arsenal since February 12th, as he is still recovering from a month-long knee injury. Coach Ståle Solbakken emphasized that not calling up Ødegaard is purely precautionary, to ensure he reaches optimal fitness for the summer World Cup. "The most important thing is that he prepares as well as possible. It would be unwise to force him to play when not fully ready," Solbakken stressed.

After the defeat in the Carabao Cup final, Arsenal will enter the critical phase of the season with a packed schedule. Manager Mikel Arteta's team will face Southampton in the FA Cup quarter-finals on April 4th, before meeting Sporting Lisbon in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals three days later.

Following that, the Gunners will return to Premier League action against Bournemouth on April 11th. Notably, after completing the Champions League quarter-final second leg on April 15th, Arsenal will face Manchester City directly in the Premier League on April 19th – a match that could decisively impact the title race.

Currently, Arsenal leads Man City by 9 points before the international break, despite Pep Guardiola's team having one match still pending. This promises to be a pivotal period where Arsenal's ambition to conquer multiple trophies this season will be clearly tested.