Arsenal have been dealt a significant injury blow as defender Gabriel limped off during Brazil's friendly against Senegal over the weekend. The match, which took place at the Emirates, saw Brazil leading by two goals thanks to strikes from Estevao and Casemiro when Gabriel had to be substituted due to a suspected muscular problem.

Now, Mikel Arteta and his team are left in suspense as they await news on the severity of the injury and how long their key player might be out of action. This comes as a major setback for the Gunners, especially considering that Gabriel missed the end of last season due to a hamstring issue.

Here's what we know so far about Gabriel's injury....

Brazilian Football Federation (CBF) issued a statement on Sunday updating on Gabriel's condition. They confirmed that he had sustained an injury and would be returning to his club for further treatment, ruling him out of their final international friendly.

They stated: "Arsenal player Gabriel was re-evaluated this Sunday and underwent imaging tests that revealed a muscle injury in his right thigh. Therefore, the player will not travel with the team to the match against Tunisia in Lille. No other player will be called up to replace him."

Arsenal's worst-case scenario

Gabriel's national team's statement confirms Arsenal's worst fears. While team-mate Riccardo Calafiori's withdrawal from the Italy camp appears precautionary with no expected time out, Gabriel's situation has escalated beyond just a scare now that the injury has been confirmed.

His exact recovery timeline remains unknown, with further testing required to determine the extent of the problem. From Arsenal's perspective, they will be hoping the issue is as minor as possible, especially with the most crucial period of the season looming.

After the international break, Arteta's side face a challenging run of fixtures against Tottenham, Bayern Munich and Chelsea. The Arsenal boss will need his squad fit and ready for those games, so any injury to Gabriel represents a significant setback.

Carlo Ancelotti's apology

It's safe to say Arsenal will be fuming about the situation, particularly as the player was reportedly already undergoing load management. As he limped off on Saturday, Sky Sports confirmed that Gabriel had been warming up separately from his teammates in an attempt to reduce his workload.

So the fact he sustained a muscular injury after the 60th minute will be nothing short of concerning.

In his post-match press conference, Brazil boss Carlo Ancelotti could do little more than offer an apology for what transpired.

"Bad? I don't know, he had a problem on his adductor, the medical staff have to check tomorrow," he said. "We are really sorry for this, really disappointed, when players have an injury I hope they can recover well and soon."