Arsenal get Gabriel boost before Everton clash with Riccardo Calafiori 'very close' to return | OneFootball

Mikel Arteta’s defensive problems ease further but Oleksandr Zinchenko remains sidelined

The Gunners have been without the Brazilian defender since he was forced off injured in back-to-back games after scoring against Sporting CP and West Ham at the end of November.

Gabriel has been nursing a knee issue and missed the last three matches across all competitions, with Jakub Kiwior replacing him in both of those aforementioned games before then starting alongside William Saliba for the wins over Manchester United and Monaco and draw with Fulham.

However, Arsenal could have their first-choice centre-back pairing restored when Everton visit the Emirates Stadium this weekend, with Gabriel returning to training alongside his team-mates at London Colney on Friday.

Comeback trail: Riccardo Calafiori and Gabriel have each missed the last three games for Arsenal

Arsenal FC via Getty Images

Riccardo Calafiori will remain sidelined however, with the versatile Italian defender not yet ready to return from his own knee injury that has seen him also miss the last three games. However, he is said to be very close to being involved again as the busy festive fixture period approaches.

Asked for a new update on his starting defensive duo, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta told reporters at Friday’s pre-match press conference: “There is a possibility with one of them to be available. He trained today and we will see tomorrow”.

Pushed on if that player was Gabriel, the Spaniard replied: “Yes.”

On Calafiori, he added: “We are just respecting the times that the medical department has set and then we just monitor his evolution every single day. And we understand that he is not fully ready yet, but he is getting very close now.”

Arteta also confirmed that Oleksandr Zinchenko would not be involved against Everton after missing the meetings with Fulham and Monaco with a muscular injury. Fellow defenders Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu (both knee) remain sidelined too.

Arsenal’s injury crisis looked to have worsened ahead of the Champions League win over Monaco in midweek, with both Thomas Partey and Jurrien Timber also not training ahead of that game.

However, midfielder Partey ended up playing the full 90 minutes as a makeshift right-back and Timber came off the bench to replace impressive academy graduate Myles Lewis-Skelly, who had been picked ahead of Kieran Tierney at left-back. Timber will be expected to come back into the starting team against Everton.

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