Gabriel Martinelli has sent a clear message following reports a hamstring injury will keep him out of action until March at the earliest. The Brazilian went down clutching the back of his leg during the Carabao Cup defeat to Newcastle with Ethan Nwaneri swiftly coming on in his place.
“Yes, he felt something,” Mikel Arteta said on Martinelli in his press conference after the game. “I think it was his hamstring and he wasn’t comfortable to continue so we’ll have to do an MRI scan tomorrow to see the extent of the injury.” The Athletic then revealed a few days later that he faces more than a month out of action due to injury.
Mikel Arteta had already lost Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka to long-term injuries this season and the blow for Martinelli means he will have just three fit senior attackers at his disposal. While Nwaneri is certainly part of his first-team plans, the Hale End graduate is still only 17.
Despite the fact the club were firmly aware of the challenges Arteta was facing in attack, no new signings were brought in during the January transfer window. Attempts were made to sign Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins but that deal was not sanctioned while interest in Bayern Munich’s Mathys Tel never really went beyond that.
When asked about the Gunners not making any moves in the January transfer window, Arteta replied: “We had a clear intention which is always there is a window open to explore the opportunities to improve our squad with players that can impact it.”
“We haven’t achieved it so we are disappointed in that sense but as well we are very aware that we only want to bring certain kind of players and we have to be very disciplined with that as well and I think that we will.” Regardless of the club’s methods, not adding depth up top looks to be a huge mistake.
(Image: Gabriel Martinelli via Instagram)
Though he could be unavailable for the next seven games for Arsenal, which includes their Champions League last-16 tie, Martinelli has remained in good spirits which will certainly please Arteta. As he is unable to train, the 23-year-old looks to be enjoying his time in Dubai, as shown via Instagram stories.
The Arsenal winger can be seen with a towel in one hand while making a peace sign with the other in front of the Dubai skyline. While Martinelli has been enjoying some time off, his teammates have been working hard in training in preparation for the final few months of the 2024/25 season.
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