Mikel Arteta is unsure if Arsenal defender Gabriel will be fit for Saturday’s Premier League London derby against West Ham.
The Brazilian centre-back was forced off late in Tuesday night’s 5-1 Champions League victory over Sporting CP in Portugal after complaining of discomfort.
Gabriel - who scored Arsenal’s third goal in a statement win at the Estadio Jose Alvalade with a close-range header on the stroke of half-time - was replaced by Jakub Kiwior with six minutes to go after Arteta had initially been set to send on Raheem Sterling before having to change his plans.
Speaking after the game in Lisbon, Arteta said: “We don’t know [if Gabriel is okay], because he said that he was feeling some discomfort.
“I was about to make the change of Raz (Sterling), poor thing, but I couldn’t make the sub - and we had to get him (Gabriel) out.”
Arsenal are next in action when they travel to West Ham on Saturday evening and Arteta was notably coy when asked for a new update on Gabriel on Friday morning.
“Wait and see,” he said of the defender’s chances of playing at the London Stadium. “I can’t [give you more information]. It’s not that I don’t want to.
Quizzed on Arsenal’s other team news, Arteta said: “Not a lot because we have another training session. We have to see how the boys are today. A few weren’t able to train yesterday, but hopefully yes today. We will have to wait and see.”
Arteta did not expand on the identities of the Arsenal players unable to train at London Colney on Thursday, with defenders Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu their only confirmed injury absentees at present after Kieran Tierney returned to the matchday squad in Lisbon after five months out with a hamstring problem.
