Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli suffered a hamstring injury during his side’s hard-fought 1-0 win at Everton, manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed, according to the Mirror.
The Gunners suffered the huge injury blow after the Brazil international was replaced by Leandro Trossard mid-way through the first half in Sunday’s Premier League game.
Martinelli went down shortly after he thought he had given Arsenal the lead with a fine finish only for the ‘goal’ to be controversially ruled out following a VAR review for an offside in the build up.
The 22-year-old was seen heading down the tunnel to receive further treatment after being replaced by Trossard, however, the severity of his injury is still unknown. Arteta has confirmed Martinelli ‘felt something’ in his hamstring so the attacker will need to be assessed to determine the extent of the issue.
Speaking after the game, Arsenal is quoted by the Mirror as saying:
“He felt something, he felt it in his hammy [hamstring] so he will need to be assessed,” he said.
The North Londoners already have three players on the sidelines including summer signing Jurrien Timber, Thomas Partey, and Mohamed Elneny.
With Timber, Partey, and Elneny all out for several weeks, Arsenal will be hoping the 22-year-old’s injury is not a serious one as they look to navigate through the league games, Champions League and Carabao Cup over the coming weeks.
Big blow
Martinelli will now be a major doubt for Arsenal’s clash with PSV on Wednesday night while he may also be forced to miss the North London Derby against Tottenham on Sunday.
The injury will be a huge concern for Arteta as Martinelli has been a key player for Arsenal for the past few seasons since moving to the Emirates Stadium from Ituano in 2019. He has racked up 136 appearances, scored 33 goals, and provided 11 assists across all competitions.
Last season, he was ever-present for Arsenal as they came close to challenging Man City for the league title but fell short due to injuries and loss of form. The South American featured in 46 games, netted 15 times, and registered six assists in all competitions.
Trossard, who came on for Martinelli, scored the match-winner as Arsenal secured all the three points to close the gap on leaders Man City to just two points ahead of their clash against Tottenham on Sunday.
Read more: Arsenal plotting swoop for £20m star but face fierce competition from Chelsea to secure deal
