Arteta dealt double injury blow amid Gabriel concern ahead of Tottenham clash
Tottenham are set to face bitter rivals Arsenal on Thursday in a pre-season clash as part of their preparations for the upcoming campaign.
The clash between Arsenal and Spurs in Hong Kong (31 July) will be the first-ever North London derby to be played outside the UK, and it will be a good test of where Thomas Frank’s side stands in their preparations.
Tottenham may look upon Arsenal’s transfer window so far with some envy, given that their rivals have strengthened in several key positions while the Lilywhites have faced frustration.
Although the upcoming match in Hong Kong is a friendly, there will be no love lost between the two sides as both Mikel Arteta and Frank will aim to beat their heated rivals.
Arsenal handed injury blow ahead of Spurs clash
Tottenham were handed a blow as Destiny Udogie was among the players who missed the trip to Asia with injury, but Arsenal have problems of their own.
Gabriel Magalhaes missed the last two months of last season, and he suffered a fresh setback in pre-season, which has kept him out so far.
Football London (29 July) have now reported that Gabriel was not training ahead of the clash with Tottenham, and will miss the game.
| Home/Away | Result |
| Tottenham v Arsenal | 0-1 Arsenal win |
| Arsenal v Tottenham | 2-1 Arsenal win |
His first replacement, Riccardo Calafiori, also suffered an injury in the Gunners’ victory over Newcastle in their last pre-season match, and will likely miss the derby game as well, limiting Arteta’s options in defence.
Given that Gabriel scored twice against Spurs last season, he will be a notable absentee for Arsenal against Tottenham, who will hope for more success on set-pieces than they saw in their last two derby defeats.
Tottenham can make a statement against Arsenal
Spurs have recruited Mohammed Kudus this summer, whom they can unleash against the Gunners, but faced frustration in their pursuit of Morgan Gibbs-White.
Arsenal, meanwhile, have spent heavily on Martin Zubimendi, Noni Madueke, Viktor Gyokeres and several others in a proactive transfer window.
Tottenham can ruin their excitement with a victory in Hong Kong. While this is a non-competitive game, there will always be eagerness to beat Arsenal, and should they secure a victory, they can damage their rival’s preparations and take more confidence going into the season.
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