No Gabriel? No problem says Arteta

MIKEL ARTETA insists Arsenal can cope with the absence of injured talisman Gabriel Magalhaes - by springing a North London derby surprise against Tottenham.

- BY RYAN TAYLOR

The imperious defender (above) is expected to be sidelined for at least a month with a thigh injury. However, Arteta claims the Gunners have managed without Gabriel before and the Spaniard is also optimistic he could have his options bolstered by a number of returning stars this weekend, even though he won't say who.

When asked if Gabriel is the team's most difficult player to replace, Arteta said: "I don't know. He's a big player for us but the good thing is we have experienced that.