As we said on Wednesday, Football Insider has been a poor source of news at times when it comes to transfer targets and contract talks, but stories on injuries generally seem to be accurate.

There was positive news on Wednesday, with Santi Cazorla reportedly nearing a return to fitness, but now there’s some not so positive news on Gabriel.

Currently undergoing treatment for a thigh injury in Brazil, the defender’s troubles are said to be minor. Nonetheless, Football Insider believe he will be out for around a month, missing next weekend’s Premier League trip to Manchester United and next week’s Champions League game against Barcelona. If he was out for a month, he could also miss the return leg at Camp Nou in mid-March.

LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 02: Gabriel (L) and Per Mertesacker (R) of Arsenal celebrate their team's 1-0 win in the FA Community Shield match between Chelsea and Arsenal at Wembley Stadium on August 2, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
With Gabriel out, Per Mertesacker is likely to keep his place in the Arsenal side. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Arsenal also have a north London derby at the beginning of March, which the defender would miss if this report is accurate.

A run of three games in the side had not brought the best out of Gabriel before the injury, but it did show that Arsène Wenger was ready to start using him more, so the boss will consider it quite the blow. However, Per Mertesacker and Calum Chambers both performed excellently against Leicester City and will be hoping for more chances to impress with Gabriel sidelined.

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