Gabriel Martinelli has avoided injury after a recent scare, but he’s set to begin his Copa America campaign on the bench for Brazil.
Gabriel Martinelli had an injury scare last week in training, with a heavy challenge leaving him needing attention from the physios, but James McNicholas reports for The Athletic that he’s fit ahead of Brazil’s opening game at Copa America.
All the same, McNicholas adds that Martinelli is expected to be named on the bench for the national team, with manager Dorival Junior having a lot of options in forward areas.
Martinelli is reportedly making a good impression as a rotation option or an impact substitute, he’s just not expected to break into the Brazil starting lineup at this stage.
The Arsenal winger’s injury scare began with a challenge by Eder Militao, forcing Martinelli to land awkwardly and leaving him clutching at his ankle.
The 23-year-old received medical attention on the pitch, before limping from the field and receiving further treatment on the sidelines.
Subsequent reports suggested that the team doctor ultimately concluded that the knock was nothing serious, just a scare in the moment. Martinelli managed to rejoin training later in the session.
Brazil are set to kick off their participation at the tournament against Costa Rica on Monday night (Tuesday at 02:00 UK time).
They’ll then face Paraguay on Friday night and Colombia on Tuesday to complete the group stage.