Arsene Wegner has confirmed that defender Gabriel will not need surgery on his ankle injury, but will miss up to to months of the season, as he remained coy on a move for Valencia defender Shkodran Mustafi.
Arsenal face a defensive crisis going into their season opener against Liverpool in Sunday, with Gabriel joined on the sidelines by fellow injury victim Per Mertesacker, while Laurent Kosicelny is also sidelined following his extended break after Euro 2016.
"Per Mertesacker is out for four months and Gabriel six to eight weeks," said Wenger.
"It's a bit better than expected because he doesn't need surgery. He ruptured his ankle ligament. At the start we thought it could be four months."
The Gunners have been linked with a move for Germany defender Mustafi, but in his press conference ahead of Sunday's clash at the Emirates, Wenger remained tight-lipped over a move for the German.
"No I cannot tell you," he said.
Arsenal face the prospect of going into the season with just young duo Calum Chambers and summer signing Rob Holding as available centre-halves and believes that Holding, who was signed from Bolton this summer, will be able to make the step up.
"I believe he has played in the Championship so that is a good experience, to deal with one level higher," said the Frenchman.
This comes after Mustafi’s agent Ali Bulut said personal terms have been agreed and now the clubs must thrash out an agreement on a fee with Arsenal hoping to complete the transfer over the weekend.
Bulut said: “Shkodran and Arsenal agree. There are only the terms to be agreed on a transfer fee.”
Mustafi, 24, has previous experience of English football, after spending three years with Everton's academy, having joined the Toffees as a 17-year-old.
However, he never made a Premier League appearance for the club, only featuring once - as a substitute in the Europa League - before being allowed to join Sampdoria in 2012.