Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli Faces More Than A Month On Sidelines With Hamstring Injury

Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli Faces More Than A Month On Sidelines With Hamstring Injury

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Arsenal winger Gabriel Martinelli faces more than a month on the sidelines with a hamstring injury suffered during Wednesday’s EFL Cup loss at Newcastle United.

Early indications suggest that is the duration Arsenal are set to be without the 23-year-old Brazil international.

It would see Martinelli miss Premier League fixtures against Leicester City (February 15), West Ham United (February 22), and Nottingham Forest (February 26) — while also making him doubtful for the trip to Manchester United on March 9 and visit of Chelsea a week later on March 16.

The Champions League round of 16 is also staged in that period and Arsenal have qualified for it. The first legs of the round of 16 ties will be played on March 4 and March 5 and the second legs will be played the following week on March 11 and March 12.

Losing such an important player, especially from an attacking unit that is already depleted, will come as a major blow to Mikel Arteta’s side.

However, there is no suggestion of Martinelli being absent for the rest of this season and he should be available for the potentially crucially last two months of the campaign.

Martinelli was forced off in the 37th minute at St James’ Park after going down clutching the back of his thigh and was replaced by Ethan Nwaneri.

The Brazilian forward’s injury comes amid a number of absences to Arsenal’s forward line, with Gabriel Jesus set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in January and Bukayo Saka not expected to return until March having undergone surgery on a torn hamstring in December.

Martinelli has scored seven goals and provided three assists in 35 games this campaign and has deputized for Saka on the right wing in recent weeks.

He was pictured, alongside Saka and Ben White, with the Arsenal squad that travelled to Dubai for a mid-season warm-weather training camp in Dubai earlier this week.

Mikel Arteta admitted on Tuesday Arsenal were “disappointed” not to sign anyone in the winter transfer window, having been vocal about his desire for a January addition to the frontline following Saka and Jesus’s injuries.