The games Gabriel Martinelli will miss with hamstring injury

Mikel Arteta was never going to sign somebody for the sake of it during the winter transfer window, but perhaps the addition of a mere body would've been wise.

Instead of overseeing the aggressive window many suspected the club needed in order to give us the best possible chance of claiming major silverware this season, not a single move was made. The squad is exactly the same now compared to 1 January.

I understand that panic buys rarely work, but Arsenal's situation up top warranted urgency. We're without Bukayo Saka until March, Gabriel Jesus for God knows long, and reliant on a run-into-the-ground Kai Havertz up top for the foreseeable. It's not ideal.

The Gunners' risk meant they could ill afford any more injuries, but the bug struck less than 48 hours after the deadline passed. Gabriel Martinelli's hamstring pinged on Tyneside, and despite initial optimism that the Brazilian had avoided any notable damage, David Ornstein delivered the crushing bomba on Friday which revealed the winger will be out for at least a month.

Here are the games Martinelli is expected to miss as a result.

Leicester vs Arsenal - 15/02/25

Arsenal return to Premier League action next Saturday having enjoyed a reset in Dubai while the FA Cup fourth round was ongoing.

This is a great chance for the Gunners to enjoy a get-right game after their dismal outing at St. James' Park, although Leicester ran Arteta's side close in the reverse fixture - when they were led by Steve Cooper.

The Foxes are in trouble and poised for the drop despite switching Cooper for Ruud van Nistelrooy. They're just not very good, and this is a game where Martinelli's absence shouldn't prove costly.

Arsenal vs West Ham - 22/02/25

Having played 11 times in a little over 30 days to start 2025, Arsenal are going to benefit from a much tamer January. Ben White's going to be back marauding down the right, and he'll likely be combining with Ethan Nwaneri with Martinelli joining Saka on the sidelines.

Raheem Sterling is another option for the boss, but all we've really seen from the veteran is a bit of direct running for 20 minutes in the FA Cup defeat to Manchester United. Nwaneri's going to get the bulk of the minutes, I suspect.

West Ham are far from spectacular at the start of Graham Potter's reign, but they will be a tougher out compared to when we rocked up to east London in November and put five past them.

Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal - 26/02/25

I am not looking forward to this.

After succumbing in style to Bournemouth, surprise-package Nottingham Forest responded emphatically by thumping Brighton 7-0 the following week. Their Champions League aspirations are serious, and they're a nightmare to play at the City Ground.

Think Newcastle and St. James' with the ferocity scale toned down a couple of notches and fewer topless Geordies. Forest are devastating in transition and defensively sound, boasting the third-best record in the division.

Only two teams have won away at Forest this term.

Man Utd vs Arsenal - 09/03/25

Manchester United have made few marked improvements under Ruben Amorim, with some questioning as to whether the Portuguese coach's systematic stubbornness will be able to facilitate long-term success in the Premier League.

The Red Devils, bereft of threat, are easy to prepare for. You know what you're going to get. However, they have offered signs of life on the big occasion. They've won at Manchester City and drawn at Anfield under Amorim, of course knocking us out of the FA Cup, too.

Winning at Old Trafford hasn't come easy for the Gunners in modern times, with our 1-0 win last season the first in front of a crowd since 2006.

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