Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes admits manager Mikel Arteta convinced him to stay at the start of the season.

Gabriel concedes he was considering his options in August.

He told PA Sport: "It is difficult for all players not to be in the team, but now I am back and I want to continue working hard to prove my worth. (Arteta) spoke to me and of course explained the reasons behind the decision.

"(He explained) why I should stay - but the most important thing was to be focused and concentrated. He knew how important I was to the team, so I'm happy to be back and to be able to help the team in every game.

"I'm happy to be back in the starting XI and hopefully I can help them going forward."