A handful of stars from Arsenal and Tottenham were in international action on Saturday evening
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Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhães is a huge doubt for next weekend’s pivotal North London derby after suffering a groin injury while on international duty.
The Brazilian international, who has arguably been the best-performing central defender in the Premier League this season, pulled up off the ball just before the hour mark in his side’s 2-0 win over Senegal in London and received treatment to his right thigh before being substituted.
"Bad? I don't know. He had an injury in his adductor," said Ancelotti, via BBC Sport. "The medical staff has to check tomorrow.We are really sorry for this, really disappointed. When a player has an injury, you hope they can recover well and soon.”
It marks the latest setback in a difficult week for Mikel Arteta and his team. The Arsenal boss is already coming to terms with Riccardo Calafiori, who was withdrawn from international duty with Italy due to fitness concerns, meaning The Gunners could enter next weekend’s derby match with gaps in both central defence and left-back.
"We tried Calafiori, he had a few issues," Gennaro Gattuso told Sky Sports Italia before Italy's match against Norway on Sunday.
"I thank him for his commitment. He stayed here for a week, he could have played perhaps, but it wouldn't have been fair to him or Arsenal."
Leandro Trossard struggles as Belgium drop points
Belgium missed the chance to wrap up qualification for the 2026 World Cup after being held to a disappointing 1-1 against Kazakhstan at the Astana Arena.
Trossard was included in the starting lineup but failed to make much of an impact as teammate’s Hans Vanaken first half header cancelled out an opener from 17-year-old Chelsea-bound striker Dastan Satpayev.
The former Brighton wideman only received a rating of 6.6 with WhoScored and was substituted off the pitch for Alexis Saelemaekers in the 71st minute.
Belgium remain top of Group J and will cement qualification with a win at home to Liechtenstein on Tuesday.
Tottenham Hotspur star shines with assist on international duty
Tottenham central defender Kevin Danso enjoyed an excellent evening for Austria as they earned a routined 2-0 win away against Cyprus.
Danso produced a dominant performance for his side as the hosts failed to register a single shot on target on the Austria goal. He also played a part in Marko Arnautovic’s second strike of the match by winning his side a penalty in the 55th minute.
Austria are top of their group and in pole position for World Cup qualification. If they avoid defeat in their upcoming home match against nearest rivals Bosnia, they’ll confirm their place in next year’s tournament in North America.
Elsewhere, it was also a productive night for Arsenal playmaker Mikel Merino. He was included in the starting lineup as Spain secured an emphatic 4-0 win away at Georgia to sustain their 100 percent record in World Cup qualification. Merino played for 62 minutes but was replaced by Fermin Lopez midway through the second half after picking up a yellow card.
Spain are on the verge of qualification. They simply need to avoid losing by a seven-goal margin when they face Turkey in midweek.