Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny says Gabriel can handle today's blockbuster against Chelsea.

Koscielny has played the majority of those games alongside Gabriel, and says he has no concerns about being paired with the Brazilian.

"I play very well with Per but I also play very well with Gabriel as well," the France defender said. "They're different players who approach the game differently but with the same quality.

"The most important thing is to establish a centre-back pairing, so we need to talk a lot. I know that Gabriel is trying to learn English so that's good for us. We have good defenders who can play for the team and who want to win for the team.

"Gabriel only arrived in January but he has done well in the games he has played. He's strong, he's quick, his mentality means he is ready to fight against Chelsea, so I don't have any problems with starting alongside him."