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Arsenal fear that center-back Gabriel Magalhães may be unavailable for a minimum of 30 days after picking up a muscle strain while with the national team in the past few days.

The Brazilian defender limped off during the Seleção's 2-0 victory against Senegal in a exhibition match at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday and has since gone back to his team for additional assessments.

Medical examinations are continuing, and Arsenal have yet to disclose the full duration of the 27-year-old absence.

Nevertheless, he is not expected to play for the key North London derby on the weekend or the Champions League fixture with the German giants only afterwards.

Possible Absence and Missed Matches

Club sources worry that the defender could miss a minimum of one month, perhaps longer, depending on the extent of the strain.

This would rule him out of key crucial games, like:

• Premier League fixtures against Chelsea and the Bees at the Emirates
• An road trip to face Aston Villa
• The European match at Club Brugge on December 10th

Mikel Arteta's team—who currently hold a four-point lead over Manchester City—afterwards face Wolverhampton at home before a rearranged fixture to Everton on 20 December.

Major Blow for Arsenal's Title Bid

Losing such an influential player could prove a serious blow for the Gunners in their title bid.

This center-back has featured in every minute of the top-flight campaign so far and is vital to a defense that has conceded only five goals in 11 games.

Prior to the recent tie at Sunderland, the team had recorded eight consecutive clean sheets in every tournament.

Cover Options and Additional Fitness Concerns

Cristhian Mosquera and other new signing Piero Hincapié are in contention to fill in for Gabriel against Tottenham.

There are also concerns over whether striker Viktor Gyökeres will return to lead the line after sitting out the club's final two fixtures before the international break due to a muscle injury.

Meanwhile, Germany manager Nagelsmann stated that Havertz has suffered a “slight setback” during his comeback from a joint injury.

While Arteta had been hopeful about the player's return this weekend, the national team boss indicated that Havertz is now expected to be back by the New Year.

Team Tested to the Limit

The club experienced their championship push hurt last season by a succession of injuries and invested significantly in the summer to reinforce the team.

But, with skipper Ødegaard also on the absentee list—alongside Noni Madueke and Martinelli—the squad is under strain considerably.