Arsenal have nervy Man United injury wait as four-player update issued after double setback

Ahead of Arsenal's pivotal Premier League showdown with Manchester United, Mikel Arteta refrained from revealing whether Gabriel Magalhaes will be fit to participate. The Brazilian defender continued his goal-scoring streak in the Sunday triumph over West Ham and even won a first-half penalty for Bukayo Saka to extend the lead.

Nonetheless, Gabriel was substituted at half-time for Jakub Kiwior, as part of a managed approach to his fitness. "It was related to the previous injury he had in Lisbon [vs Sporting CP]," conceded Arteta during his post-match briefing. "We decided to take him off."

Gabriel had been taken off with five minutes left of the eventual 5-1 win over Sporting three days earlier. At the London Stadium, Arsenal also saw Riccardo Calafiori make way for Oleksandr Zinchenko early into the second half due to what Arteta described post-match as a 'minor' injury issue.

READ MORE: Chido Obi-Martin sent clear Man United message as premature Arsenal decision backfires

READ MORE: Premier League make controversial Arsenal vs Man United referee decision as selection confirmed

Additionally, Mikel Merino, Thomas Partey and Myles Lewis-Skelly missed Sunday's game with knee and muscle injuries respectively. With the crucial clash against United on Wednesday, Arteta has hinted at last-minute calls concerning the availability of the five affected players.

"We're going to have a meeting this afternoon," he said, reports football.london. "We have done a training session. We monitored and kept some players away from certain activities. They all want to play."

Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu are already ruled out through injury. Gabriel, Partey, Calafiori, Merino, and Lewis-Skelley are all doubts with no firm fitness