Arsenal grinded out an ugly win against Everton earlier today, but it came with a price to be sure. Gabriel Martinelli, after having a goal disallowed due to VAR, left early due to having suffered injury. Manager Mikel Arteta provided a brief yet concerning update on the winger’s condition.
He said to Sky Sports: “He [Martinelli] felt something, he felt it in his hammy [hamstring] so he will need to be assessed.”
Mikel Arteta on Martinelli injury: “He felt something on one of the sprints, in his hammy”. ??? #AFC
“He will need to be assessed”. pic.twitter.com/cV8ni0DenW
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 17, 2023
In another media opportunity, Arteta said the following about Martinelli’s situation: “He felt, I think, something in the action in the run for the goal. He’s not normally a player to have muscular issues, but he had to come off. Let’s see.”
It remains to be seen- the severity of his hamstring injury, but Martinelli is at the very least a strong doubt for Arsenal’s UEFA Champions League group stage opener against PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday night.
He could miss next weekend’s very big North London Derby too. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what the scans show and the physios say.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
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