Exclusive: Arsenal receive important injury update from national team’s medical staff

I can only imagine what Mikel Arteta was thinking when news filtered back to Arsenal that Gabriel Martinelli had followed Bukayo Saka by picking up an injury while on international duty.

It’s too early to say yet whether the calf problem Martinelli is suffering from will rule the Brazilian out of Saturday’s trip to Bournemouth. My understanding is that – following conversations with the Brazilian team’s medical staff – there is not much concern at Arsenal over the severity of Martinelli’s issue.

It might still force him to miss Saturday’s game, but that is a decision that will be taken on Friday before the team makes the trip to the south coast following their final training session at London Colney.

Arsenal have not insisted that Martinelli returns to the UK early. They are comfortable with him remaining with Brazil and returning as scheduled with Gabriel Magalhaes following the match with Peru.

Could Gabriel Martinelli injury keep him out of Arsenal’s game against Bournemouth?

So it’s too early to rule him out of contention for the weekend, but if he were to miss out then Arteta does have a fair few options to call upon, even if Saka is also absent.

Gabriel Jesus is one of those options. He struggled playing as the central striker against Southampton before the international break, but he’s shown he can be a handy option playing out wide.

He can play on the right or on the left and it would not surprise me to see Arteta utilise him out wide at Bournemouth, although the more likely alternative to Martinelli on the left would be Raheem Sterling.

For more Arsenal transfer news, exclusive injury updates and thoughts on the Unai Emery vs Mikel Arteta debate, read my full exclusive column on the Daily Briefing!