Arsenal face uncertainty over one of their central defenders after Gabriel sustained a muscle injury while on international duty. The 27-year-old, who missed 19 games for club and country last season, was withdrawn after 64 minutes of Brazil’s 2–0 friendly victory over Senegal at the Emirates Stadium with a problem in his right thigh.

After the match, manager Carlo Ancelotti admitted he was uncertain on the severity of the defender’s issue, and subsequent reporting in The Athletic has put a possible recovery window at one to two months. Further tests are required to establish the exact timescale, but in a worst-case scenario Gabriel could be out until mid-January.

Working from the two-month estimate, Arsenal would be without Gabriel for a minimum of 14 matches, a figure that would rise to 15 should the club reach the Carabao Cup semi-finals. Several significant fixtures follow straight after the international break: Tottenham (H) on Sunday, Bayern Munich (H) in the Champions League and Chelsea (A) on November 30.

December brings an intensive run of eight fixtures, in which Gabriel might only play if the issue is short-term. Those matches include Premier League ties with Brentford, Aston Villa, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Everton and Brighton, plus Champions League travel to Club Brugge and a Carabao Cup quarter-final with Crystal Palace.

Arsenal also have Premier League trips to Bournemouth and Liverpool scheduled before a potential January return, and the club will contest the FA Cup third round without him if the absence extends into the new year. The player would additionally miss the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-finals should the Gunners progress past Palace.

With key games across four competitions looming, Arsenal will be monitoring the medical updates closely. At present the situation remains provisional pending further scans and assessments, but Gabriel will be unavailable for selection for the foreseeable future while the club and Brazil await clearer timelines.

Arsenal’s Premier League fixture against Everton has been moved to Dec. 20 to allow the club to play a Carabao Cup quarter-final against Crystal Palace three days later. The Premier League and broadcasters needed to find a slot that permitted live coverage in the U.K., which limited available options.

Crystal Palace’s European commitments added complexity. Oliver Glasner’s side face KuPS on Dec. 18, the penultimate game in a sequence that will see them play 10 matches between Nov. 22 and Dec. 23. That congested run left little room to shift the cup match without creating knock-on problems across the calendar.

Christmas Eve was considered for the Carabao Cup quarter-final but was rejected to avoid disruption for travelling supporters so close to the holiday, Arsenal noted in a club statement. As a consequence of the rearrangement, Arsenal will now face Everton on Dec. 20 at 8 p.m (GMT). Palace’s game against Leeds was also moved to the same kick-off time, creating a compact schedule for all involved.

Arsenal addressed the potential impact on fans directly in their announcement. “The welfare of our players, supporters, and staff is our priority, and we fully understand this change of date may result in challenges for supporters travelling to Liverpool for the game,” the club said. “Therefore, we are organising additional supporters’ coaches for this match. All coach travel will be subsidised for supporters, priced at £10 for the return journey to Everton.”

For Palace, the schedule still requires two matches in three days between Dec. 18 and Dec. 20, but the club has limited alternatives because the team is already playing twice a week through to mid-January. The rearrangement reflects an attempt to balance broadcast commitments, cup scheduling and supporter welfare within a crowded fixture list.

Cristiano Ronaldo has publicly defended Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim, arguing that the difficulties the club has faced this season are largely beyond the coach’s control. United made significant investments over the summer, particularly in attack, and while there have been encouraging signs, the campaign has included notable setbacks, not least in the Carabao Cup.

Speaking with Piers Morgan, Ronaldo sought to reduce pressure on Amorim and placed responsibility higher up the club hierarchy. “He’s [doing] his best. What’s he going to do? Miracles? Miracles [are] impossible. We say in Portugal, ‘Miracles [are] only in Fatima.’ He’s not going to do miracles. Even the players. Manchester United have good players, but they don’t have, some of them, in their minds what Manchester United is,” Ronaldo said.

Beyond the manager himself, Ronaldo highlighted a lack of long-term planning and a shortage of youth within the first team. “You have to follow intelligent, smart people to create a base for the future as Manchester United have so many years ago. Nicky Butt, Gary [Neville], Roy Keane, [David] Beckham. They become big players, but they had youth,” he said.

He continued: “Manchester United, right now, they don’t have a structure. I hope that changes in the future. Present, future because the potential of the club is amazing. It’s one of the most important clubs of the century.”

Ronaldo also made clear that he still watches the club closely because Man Utd is “still in his heart,” while urging honesty about its present condition.

Statistical context in the discussion noted that Manchester United have an average squad age of 25.4 years, per Transfermarkt, and that most current starters were signed within the last five years. The club’s 88-year record for selecting a homegrown player remains intact, but Ronaldo acknowledged that the current squad is far different from the side he played for under Sir Alex Ferguson.