Mikel Arteta could finally start £45m Arsenal star vs Crystal Palace after Friday update
Arsenal take on Crystal Palace in Sunday’s Premier League derby at the Emirates Stadium.
Ahead of the game, manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed an injury concern for his main defender.
Gabriel Magalhaes sustained a knock against Atletico Madrid on Tuesday, and he has not trained yet.
His situation will be assessed over the next 24 hours before a decision is made on his availability.
If the Brazilian is sidelined, Arteta could choose between three players to fill the void.
Cristhian Mosquera came on as a substitute to replace Gabriel in the left centre-back role in midweek.
The Spaniard has already started multiple times in the Premier League and should be a frontrunner.
However, the manager could also prefer to continue with a left-footed centre-back in the position.
In that case, Piero Hincapie and Riccardo Calafiori are potential choices for the Spanish tactician.
Calafiori has been brilliant as an inverting left-back during the early part of the season.
He was the best attacking outlet in the opening half against Fulham last weekend, and has already chipped in with three goal contributions in the league.
Calafiori was completely rested against Atletico as Myles Lewis-Skelly got the nod, but the Italian is poised to start against Oliver Glasner’s side on Sunday.
In our view, the manager may prefer continuity for the former Bologna man. The 23-year-old could continue as the left-back in the upcoming London derby.
This could pave the way for Hincapie to make his full league debut for the Gunners.
The Ecuadorian signed for the Gunners on loan from Bayer Leverkusen last summer with an obligation to buy for £45 million if certain conditions are fulfilled.
He has made just one substitute appearance against Athletic Club on the road thus far and was recently sidelined for almost a month due to a minor groin injury.
Hincapie was back in the matchday squad against Atletico, and Arteta could be tempted to finally hand him his maiden appearance in the English top-flight.
The Leverkusen loanee has a similar profile to Gabriel. Hincapie is strong in the air and won an impressive 61 percent (2.1 per game) of his aerial duels in the Bundesliga last term.
This could hand him an edge over Mosquera, who won only 45 percent of his aerial challenges (1.1 per game) for Valencia in the Spanish top-flight during the 2024/25 season.
With an in-form Jean-Philippe Mateta leading the line for the Eagles, Arteta could opt for Hincapie’s strong aerial prowess alongside William Saliba in the heart of the defence.
Stats from Sofascore.com
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