Clubs often pull all stops to avoid their key players picking up fitness problems on international duty, and Arsenal are no different in this regard.
The Gunners have received a double fitness update on Brazil internationals Bruno Guimaraes and Gabriel Magalhaes, as they prepare for a friendly game against India in Kolkata.
Bruno and Gabriel are key players for the Seleçao and the Gunners, making it necessary for a balance to be found in their use for both parties.
The Premier League champions have established a line of communication with the national team, offering directives on how to best manage both players.
Brazil Lighten Workload for Key Arsenal Duo
Arsenal stars Bruno Guimaraes and Gabriel Magalhaes were not in team training on Wednesday during an open session in Brisbane, according to Football.London.
Along with Vinicius Junior, Endrick, Danilo, and Vanderson, the duo took part in a separate drill at the beginning of the open training session.
Afterwards, the rest of the players joined the main group, while Guimaraes and Gabriel watched on from the sidelines, chatting with some of the coaching staff while seated on balls.
Their absence may have been a cause for alarm, but their high spirits were evident, indicating that there were no physical problems bothering them.
Bruno Guimaraes played in both of the Seleçao's friendlies in Down Under against Australia, scoring in the 4-2 win earlier this week.
Gabriel was an unused substitute in the first game last week, but played for the entirety of the second game between the sides this week.
Load Management Key in Modern Football
An important aspect of player management is understanding when/how to pace players to avoid injuries and manage player load.
Limiting the amount of training undergone by both players is the result of a consideration of several factors, especially the amount of minutes logged by both players this season and their air travel to get to Australia.
Gabriel was a key player for Arsenal last term, playing 51 times across all competitions as they won the Premier League and reached the UEFA Champions League final.
He had a quick turnaround, as he joined the Brazil squad at the FIFA World Cup, playing every minute as his country got to the Round of 16 stage.
He has featured prominently for Mikel Arteta's side this season, playing all eight of their games so far.
This amount of game time has made it important for his load to be managed, to prevent him from succumbing to injury.
Bruno Guimaraes, on the other hand, did not have as intense a season as Gabriel did, but is only just working his way back to full fitness.
He has started just two games since completing his £75 million move from Newcastle to North London in the summer.
Arteta will hope to count on both players throughout the 2026-27 season, as the Gunners hope to build on their success from last season.
With Kai Havertz already sidelined, Arteta will follow the rest of the international window with bated breath.
