UCL: The stats showing Arsenal are in Real trouble without Gabriel

Arsenal ’s prospects of defeating Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-final suffered a significant setback after Gabriel was withdrawn against Fulham on Tuesday. 

Mikel Arteta’s side welcomed the Cottagers to the Emirates Stadium in Premier League action after the international break, bidding to record consecutive top-flight wins either side of the hiatus. 

However, with less than 15 minutes played, Gabriel appeared to pull up while holding his thigh during a Fulham counter-attack and looked uncomfortable sitting on the turf. 

Ultimately substituted in the 16th minute after Jakub Kiwior's introduction, Arsenal's concern goes beyond Tuesday's league clash with Fulham. 

Instead, their fear is an upshot of the closeness of their Champions League last-eight tie with the Spanish giants. 

With the recovery from hamstring injuries taking weeks and possibly months in severe cases, Gabriel's involvement in the first leg on April 8 at the Emirates is doubtful, while the centre-back could also miss out when Arteta's team travel to the Bernabeu on April 16.

Numbers revealed by the Premier League at halftime show that Arsenal’s results suffer when the Brazil defender is not in the squad, albeit in top-flight games.

Considering the Gunners’ defensive strength from Gabriel’s partnership with William Saliba, the North London side must find solutions if the defender’s apparent hamstring injury sidelines him against Carlo Ancelotti’s team.

Arsenal face Everton on April 5, three days before hosting Real Madrid.