The Arsenal vice/captain and centre back Per Mertesacker has certainly been in the wars recently. The German World Cup winner had to miss the Premier League games against Liverpool and Newcastle United before the international break after picking up some mystery illness.
But as the Big Flipping German has now retired from international football, he would have expected to be back in action for the Gunners after the two week break, but it was not to be and he was not even on the bench. Per is also going to miss our opening Champions League game in Croatia against Dinamo Zagreb and we now know the reason why.
An Evening Standard report has revealed that the defender was involved in a car accident in torrential rain that left him very shaken but luckily for us without any major injury.
So Gabriel will continue alongside Koscielny this week but there is a very good chance that the BFG will be back in the team for the crunch Premier League clash with Chelsea on Saturday as he will be training this week. Arsene Wenger is likely to select Mertesacker against Chelsea because of his EPL experience and his size and ability to defend crosses and set pieces, but is Gabriel pushing him hard for that coveted place in the starting XI?