Carlo Ancelotti issues an apology to Arsenal following the friendly match

Coach Carlo Ancelotti extended his apologies to Arsenal after Gabriel Magalhães was forced to leave the field limping in Brazil’s friendly victory against Senegal.

Brazil, having officially secured qualification for the 2026 World Cup, is in the process of finalizing preparations for the tournament hosted in Canada, Mexico, and the USA. In the friendly at Emirates Stadium, Ancelotti’s team secured a 2-0 victory over Senegalthanks to goals from Estevao (Chelsea) and Casemiro (Man Utd). However, this win was somewhat overshadowed when Gabriel had to be substituted after more than 60 minutes due to a groin injury. The 27-year-old was replaced by defender Wesley Franca (Roma), as Brazil maintained good momentum with two wins in their last three matches.

After the match, Coach Ancelotti confirmed that Gabriel would undergo medical examinations by the Brazil team staff the following day to assess the severity of the injury. When asked about the Arsenal defender’s condition, Ancelotti stated: “Bad? I don’t know. He has a groin issue, the medical team will check tomorrow. We are truly sorry about this, it’s very disappointing. When players get injured, I just hope they recover quickly.”

Gabriel has been in outstanding form for Arsenal in the 2025–26 season, scoring 2 goals across all competitions. He has played every minute of Arsenal’s 17 matches, playing a key role in helping the team top the Premier League and share first place in the Champions League group stage. This marks another gloomy day for Arsenal as defender Riccardo Calafiori also left the Italy national team camp due to injury.

Coach Gennaro Gattuso confirmed to Sky Sport Italia: “Calafiori has left the squad. We tried, but he has some issues. I appreciate his effort: staying the whole week, even being able to play, but it wouldn’t be fair to him or Arsenal.”

Arsenal currently have a lengthy injury list: Kai Havertz, Viktor Gyökeres, Gabriel Jesus, Noni Madueke, and Martin Ødegaard are all sidelined. Earlier this week, Norway coach Stale Solbakken delivered disappointing news, stating that captain Ødegaard is still “quite far” from returning. The midfielder has been out since October 4 due to a knee ligament injury. Despite his injury, Ødegaard remains with the Norway national team, which is almost certain to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

Arsenal are awaiting a precise assessment of Gabriel and Calafiori’s injuries before returning to Premier League action next Sunday. Their opponent will be city rivals Tottenham, who currently sit fifth, eight points behind Arsenal.

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