Arsenal face losing Gabriel Martinelli for entire pre-season

Arsenal could be without Gabriel Martinelli for the upcoming pre-season schedule as well as the first few weeks of the 2021/22 Premier League campaign following the latest development involving Brazil’s Olympics squad.

Already Arsenal will be without defender Gabriel who made the 18-man cut and will link up with the Selecao as they jet off to Tokyo for the 2021 Summer Olympics games.

That decision could open the door for William Saliba to have a greater chance of impressing Mikel Arteta, but he may not be the only squad member who will have to link up with the side later than hoped after ESPN Brazil confirmed fellow forward Pedro will not be joining the squad.

The forward, who plays his club football for Flamengo, has not been granted permission to join up with national team despite his desire to do so, with Flamengo blocking his path as for occasions such as the Olympics clubs have the right to refuse their players to take part. Taking their claim to the Superior Court of Sports Justice, the Brazilian Confederation consider their hopes of Pedro joining all-but over.

Arsenal face losing Gabriel Martinelli for entire pre-season following development with the Brazil national squad for the Summer Olympics

Martinelli, who was in the original 23-man squad, was surprisingly cut from the final team and is now on a three-man shortlist to take the vacant spot alongside International’s Yuri Alberto and FC Porto’s Evanilson. Martinelli has regularly expressed a desire to represent his country.

If chosen Arsenal are unlikely to block his path having given their blessing to Gabriel, which would mean that the 20-year-old would miss Arsenal’s entire pre-season.

The Olympics run from July 23 to August 8, which would mean missing clashes with Hibernian and Rangers, as well as the Florida Cup, which is being staged between July 25 and July 28.

There is also the Mind Series clashes in London with Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur that he could be absent for, depending on Brazil’s success in Tokyo, while that could easily carry over into the start of the Premier League season as he is likely to be granted extra rest if Brazil reach the latter stages.

Brazil will confirm their decision by June 30.

It would be a huge shame to not have Martinelli available at a time in his career where he was expected to be fighting for a starting berth as well as earning more minutes at centre-forward, although if given the opportunity it’s an excellent step for him.

Would rather have him with Arsenal, mind you.