Arsenal could potentially lose Gabriel Martinelli for four games in the early part of 2020 as he has been included in a provisional Brazil squad for a pre-Olympic tournament.
The 18-year-old joined the Gunners this past summer and has been impressive when given a chance to shine as he’s bagged eight goals and three assists in 16 appearances.
While he hasn’t always been a regular starter, it shows the impact that he’s capable of making at this early stage of his career and his potential to get even better to establish himself as a pivotal figure for Arsenal in the years ahead.
However, they’ll potentially be dealt a more immediate blow as Globoesporte have reported that he’s been included in a provisional Brazil squad for a pre-Olympic tournament.
That competition runs between January 18 and February 9 in Colombia, while it’s added that a final squad will be announced on December 27 and so it’s not yet confirmed as whether or not Martinelli will feature.
Should he make the trip though, that would likely rule him out of four games for Arsenal, as they play Sheffield United, Chelsea, Burnley and Newcastle United during that window.
It remains to be seen if the two parties discuss the situation and reach a compromise, while much will perhaps depend on Martinelli’s wishes too as if he wants to represent his country, then the Gunners could have a difficult time from stopping him.
While they do have plenty of quality and depth in that department to cope without him, it would be a setback to lose him as they continue to try and compete on multiple fronts, while the pressure continues to build at the Emirates as their underwhelming campaign goes on.