Ray Parlour and Alan Brazil name one Arsenal star who could replace injured Gabriel Magalhaes in Gunners XI

Modified Apr 04, 2025 15:08 GMT

Arsenal FC v Fulham FC - Premier League - Source: Getty

Arsenal find themselves in a tricky situation as Brazilian defender Gabriel Magalhaes has now been added to their list of injured players. Former footballers Ray Parlour and Alan Brazil have named a player who can replace the Brazilian.

Magalhaes suffered a hamstring injury during the game against Fulham on April 1. The defender will undergo surgery and miss the remainder of the season. His absence in the defensive third will be a cause of concern for Mikel Arteta. Arsenal have had the best numbers in defense this season in the Premier League. They have conceded only 25 goals, the lowest in the English domestic competition.

However, the absence of Gabriel Magalhaes means William Saliba will need someone to partner with him for the rest of the season. While discussing it on talkSPORT, Ray Parlour and Alan Brazil highlighted Ben White to fill in Gabriel's boots. Parlour said (via TBR Football):

"Look at Ben White. I don’t know what the problem is with Ben White. He’s played at centre-half as well, so you know he’s played in that situation."

Parlour suggested that Arteta should turn his sight towards English defender Ben White. Brazil agreed as well. White is a versatile defender who usually plays as a right-back but in times of need, he can pitch in as a centre-back.

Ben White's track record as a centre-back at Arsenal

Ben White's track record as a centre-back is interesting. When White joined the Gunners back in 2021 from Brighton & Hove Albion, he was signed mainly to perform his duties as a centre-back.

However, after he joined the London-based outfit, he was shifted to a full-back role. The report in TBR Football states he was shaky as a central defender. He played 40 games in that position for Arsenal. The team earned 22 wins and suffered 13 losses, while five games ended in draws.

Out of those aforementioned 40 matches, 15 saw Arsenal maintain a clean sheet. Meanwhile, the other 25 fixtures witnessed the Gunners concede 43 goals. Arteta's side have matches against Everton on Saturday and Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals first leg on April 8.

In such a situation, the Gunners' think-tank will have to decide whether to go ahead with Jakub Kiwior or bring back Ben White. Riccardo Calafiori and Takehiro Tomiyasu, both of whom can play as centre-backs, are also injured.

About the author

Sattyik is a football writer at Sportskeeda with over 3 years of experience. He has completed his post-graduation in Journalism and Mass Communication (MA), and has previously worked for Khel Now and also Sportskeeda’s Indian Sports and Indian Football division.

Sattyik has been following the sport since his childhood as his parents are ardent Mohun Bagan supporters and also members of the club. He has, however, been supporting their rivals East Bengal since 2008. He was also part of a local football academy, specializing in central defense, but had to switch focus to studies. Among European teams, he follows Manchester United and their stalwart captain Nemanja Vidic.

Sattyik has interviewed multiple footballers like Alberto Noguera, Javier Siverio, Edu Bedia among others. He is always on the lookout for new stories and strives to share them within appropriate timelines.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Ronaldinho are Sattyik’s other favorite footballers. Among managers, he admires Sir Alex Ferguson, Xabi Alonso, Carlo Ancelotti, Johan Cruyff and Jose Mourinho because of their achievements and how they revolutionized the sport.

Sattyik was inspired by the grit and determination shown by Liverpool in the 2005 Champions League final as they came back from 3-0 down against AC Milan to win the trophy. When not working, he enjoys his time with books and music.

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Edited by Aditya Singh