Three days ago, Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli was forced to cut short his training with Brazil.
The forward has been struggling with a calf injury and tests have shown he has a “muscle edema”.
This forced Martinelli to miss Monday’s session with the national team, and he continued to receive treatment. There were concerns over the Arsenal player’s involvement for the World Cup qualifiers against Peru earlier today [UK time].
Seleção sealed a 4-0 win and the 23-year-old was left out of the squad to face Peru. The Brazilian football association have released a statement about his absence and Terra have relayed it.
“Striker Gabriel Martinelli is out of the match against Peru on Tuesday (15). He has an edema in his right calf and is not yet fully recovered. As a result, the medical department has decided to preserve him for the match in Brasilia. Even so, he will watch the match from the bench,” a statement read.
The latest statement from the national team could be a concern for both Mikel Arteta and Arsenal. The Brazil international will return to the north London club in the coming hours, where the Gunners’ medical staff would take a closer look at his calf injury.
Martinelli has featured in every league and Champions League fixture this season.
AFC Bournemouth will host Arsenal in the league on Saturday. Arteta should provide more updates on Martinelli’s situation during the pre-match press conference.
