Arsenal defender Gabriel will sit out the rest of the season after having surgery on his hamstring, the Premier League club said on Thursday in what is a major blow to Mikel Arteta’s side.

The 27-year-old Gabriel went down injured in the early stages of Arsenal’s 2-1 win over Fulham on Tuesday and was substituted immediately.

“Gabi will undergo a surgical repair procedure to his hamstring in the coming days, and immediately begin his recovery and rehabilitation programme, with the aim to be ready for the start of next season,” Arsenal said in a statement.

The London club was already without defenders Riccardo Calafiori, Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu while Jurrien Timber also came off in the Fulham game with a knee issue.

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Arsenal is 12 points behind Liverpool in the title race with eight games left, while it hosts Real Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals next week.

The club also lost strikers Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus to season-ending injuries earlier this year.