Arsenal’s preparations for the upcoming Premier League campaign have been given an injection by the return to fitness of Gabriel Magalhaēs and Jurrien Timber.
The two key defenders have not been involved in any of Arsenal’s pre-season friendlies while recovering from their respective injuries but both were pictured in full team training ahead of the club’s clash with Villarreal on Wednesday.
Gabriel has not been spotted in action by Arsenal fans since pulling up against Fulham on April’s Fools Day, a week before the Gunners took on Real Madrid in the Champions League quarterfinals. The Brazilian defender, who is openly targeting Premier League glory, was sidelined for the remainder of the 2024–25 campaign before easing his way back this summer.
A knock in training limited Gabriel to just 45 minutes of action this summer in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Watford. Timber was not involved at all against the Hornets while he recovers from ankle surgery in May.
Prepping for Villarreal 👊
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) August 5, 2025
Riccardo Calafiori and Leandro Trossard were not in action as they continue to work on getting fit for next Sunday’s Premier League opener against Manchester United.
The likes of Viktor Gyökeres, Martin Zubimendi and—after a delayed introduction—Noni Madueke were in action. In his pre-season address, Arteta revealed that the fresh recruits have “shaken things up”. “These new arrivals all add quality and depth to the squad, which is what we’re going to need throughout the season ahead,” the manager gushed.
“We know what our targets are and what we want to achieve this season,” Arteta continued as he sets his sights on a competitive Premier League title race. “There is a big belief in our ability to achieve that. We’ve been very, very close the last few seasons and the whole team is going to determine whether we achieve that or not. But at the same time, we have to make sure that we don’t lose sight of what we have to do on a daily basis to get to the levels that we want.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Arsenal Given Huge Double Injury Boost Ahead of Crunch Premier League Opener.