Gabriel Martinelli’s injury is not thought to be as bad as initially feared following his sprained ankle in the pre-match warm-up prior to the FA Cup clash with Newcastle United.
A report in The Guardian has claimed that the results from the Brazilian’s scan came back more positive than first initially feared after the 2019 summer signing left the pitch in tears last Saturday evening.
It’s also been stated that the £6m man from Ituano could return as early as next Monday evening when Arsenal once again face-off against Steve Bruce’s side.
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I can’t begin to explain how great this news is especially having been forced to watch the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on the left-wing for the first half of the season. Martinelli’s re-introduction into the senior squad following his hamstring injury was a breath of fresh air as he added urgency and quality on the left of the attack.
The difference between Aubameyang’s last performance from left-wing and Martinelli’s first upon his return from injury are quite stunning. In the loss to Burnley, the club captain made just one tackle, scored an own goal and rarely produced much of a threat on the outside of the opposing side’s defence.
Meanwhile, in the clash against Chelsea, Martinelli was stunning as he led the press from the front, making three tackles, one interception and two fouls as the opposing back-line struggled with his energy. The youth star also covered much of the attacking third as proving more fluid in his movement than the African forward.
I can imagine Mikel Arteta is on cloud nine right about now with Martinelli due back in action sooner than expected. His impact since his return has been monstrous and the Gunners would have a far better crack at top-four with the ace in the side than out of it.
In other news, Fabrizio Romano has quashed rumours one star could return to the club this month.
