As Arsenal prepare for their upcoming Champions League face-off against PSV Eindhoven, head coach Mikel Arteta has confirmed that forward Gabriel Martinelli will be sidelined due to a hamstring injury.
The news also comes just days before the crucial North London derby with the winger expected to miss that game as well.
Arsenal’s manager, Mikel Arteta, has confirmed that Gabriel Martinelli will be sidelined for the upcoming Champions League clash with PSV Eindhoven due to a hamstring injury.
However, the extent of the injury and Martinelli’s availability for the North London derby remains uncertain pending further tests. Reports in the media claim the winger will miss at least a few weeks.
The 22-year-old forward was forced to leave the pitch during Sunday’s match against Everton, a game that saw him score a goal, only for it to be disallowed after a VAR review which has been described as killing the spirit of the game.
In a post-Everton statement, Arteta expressed his surprise at Martinelli’s muscular issue, saying, “Normally he’s not one of the players to have muscular issues, but he had to come off, so let’s see.”
Addressing the media in the lead-up to Wednesday’s Champions League clash with PSV Eindhoven, Arteta provided a further update on Martinelli’s condition.
“He felt something in his hamstring, and we need to do some further tests to assess if there is any significant damage or not. But he will be out for tomorrow’s game, that’s for sure,” Arteta confirmed.
When questioned about the possibility of Martinelli returning for the crucial North London derby, Arteta remained cautiously optimistic. “It’s a possibility, we don’t know yet. As I said, we need some more tests and then see what happens.”
Arsenal appear to have no other pressing fitness concerns leading up to their first Champions League clash at the Emirates Stadium since 2017.
This news will provide some relief to Arsenal fans, who will hope for a swift and full recovery for Gabriel Martinelli as the team faces an important period of fixtures.