Gabriel Sits Out Brazil Training. His Adductor Is the Worry Now.

Arsenal defender Gabriel missed Brazil’s training session Wednesday with what the team is calling discomfort in his left adductor. He did some light work away from the main group alongside Raphinha, who’s been dealing with blisters. Neither is a full-go right now.

This comes after Gabriel played every minute of Brazil’s World Cup opener against Morocco, a game that ended 1-1 and left plenty of questions. He wasn’t sharp. He got caught out of position on Morocco’s goal and looked shaky for stretches. For someone who rarely gets beaten like that, it stood out.

Now there’s real uncertainty about Saturday night in Philadelphia, when Brazil faces Haiti in what’s basically a must-win if they want to avoid an ugly group-stage exit.

How much does Gabriel have left in the tank?

The guy played over 4,000 minutes across 51 matches for Arsenal this season. He was a rock in their Premier League title run, one of the most consistent defenders in the league. But that workload doesn’t just disappear. It catches up. An adductor issue — even a minor one — is exactly the kind of thing that flares up when a body has been pushed that hard.

He’s no stranger to muscle problems either. Gabriel picked up a thigh injury back in November during international duty and missed six weeks. Other than that, he was basically an ever-present for Mikel Arteta. But the mileage adds up.

Brazilian media reports say manager Carlo Ancelotti is still hopeful Gabriel will be available against Haiti. The team hasn’t confirmed anything beyond the discomfort, and Gabriel is being assessed day by day. But hope and fitness aren’t the same thing.

Martinelli might get a real look

With Raphinha out of Wednesday’s session, Gabriel Martinelli saw more involvement in first-team preparations. The Arsenal winger didn’t get any minutes against Morocco. That’s notable for a guy who was a key piece for his club this season. He’s pushing for playing time now, and the situation might force Ancelotti’s hand.

Brazil needs goals. Haiti is not Morocco. But if Brazil’s defense is compromised — and Gabriel has already shown he’s not at 100 percent — that changes the calculus. Saturday night will tell us a lot.