Arsenal winger Gabriel Martinelli has picked up a small calf injury and is a doubt for Brazil's next World Cup qualifier, the country's football federation has confirmed.
The 23-year-old - who hit a rich vein of form before the international break with goals in the 4-2 win over Leicester City and 3-1 beating of Southampton - came off the bench for the final five minutes of Friday's 2-1 success over Chile, replacing Abner.
Brazil are back in action on Tuesday, taking on Peru in their next qualifier for the 2026 World Cup, but Martinelli has now emerged as a minor doubt for that contest to hand Mikel Arteta another untimely concern.
On Sunday evening, the Brazilian Football Federation announced that the former Ituano starlet had undergone a scan on a right calf injury, and he was revealed to be suffering from minor muscle edema.
Martinelli has not been ruled out of the showdown with Peru, but the CBF confirmed that he is currently in the rehabilitation phase, and he is not expected to make the cut this week.
Martinelli 'undergoing physio treatment' for calf injury
© Imago
"Player Gabriel Martinelli complained of pain in his right calf and underwent an MRI on Sunday night (13) which showed a small area of muscle edema in the area," the CBF said in a statement.
"The athlete continues to undergo physiotherapy treatment under the care of the Brazilian National Team's Medical Department."
Martinelli's setback comes at a highly inopportune time for the 23-year-old, who was just starting to rediscover a clinical touch in front of goal after a tough start to the 2024-25 campaign.
Martinelli failed to score or assist in his first five appearances of the season in all competitions, but he has now had a hand in four goals in his last three Premier League appearances, two of his own and two assists.
As well as netting against Leicester and Southampton, Martinelli provided an assist for Leandro Trossard in the victory over the former and set up Riccardo Calafiori's wonder strike in the 2-2 stalemate with Manchester City.
Who could replace Martinelli in Arsenal attack?
© Imago
As inconvenient as Martinelli's injury is, Arteta is not short of options to replace the Brazilian on the left flank, where Trossard and Chelsea loanee Raheem Sterling could compete to replace the winger.
Alternatively, Arteta could take a closer look at 21-year-old Nathan Butler-Oyedeji, who has largely featured on the left for the Under-21s this season and boasts five goals from as many games in the Premier League 2 setup.
Borussia Monchengladbach are believed to be tracking Butler-Oyedeji, but Arsenal are keen to keep hold of him, and offering him a first-team debut if Martinelli is absent would certainly aid their efforts of keeping interested clubs at bay.
Arsenal are also sweating over the fitness of Bukayo Saka, who withdrew from the England camp with the knock he picked up against Greece, while Oleksandr Zinchenko, Kieran Tierney, Ben White, Kai Havertz, Jurrien Timber and Martin Odegaard - who has apparently suffered a major setback - are also on the sidelines.
The Gunners sit third in the Premier League table after seven games - level on points with Manchester City and one adrift of Liverpool - and their first game back after the international break comes away to Bournemouth on Saturday evening.
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