Arsenal have been dealt another major blow as a third star has been ruled out for the remainder of their Premier League campaign, it has been confirmed.
Defensive duo William Saliba and Oleksandr Zinchenko are both thought to be set to watch from the sidelines for final two games of the season through a back and calf injury respectively, and though Gunners boss Mikel Arteta refused to rule them out completely, with nothing of note left to play for it seems unlikely that either would be risked ahead of the new season.
Arsenal’s William Saliba during the match against Wolves.
Picture : Mark Pain / Alamy Live News 2M53B6F 12 Nov 2022 – Woverhampton Wanderers v Arsenal – Premier League – Molineux
Arsenal’s William Saliba during the match against Wolves.
Picture : Mark Pain / Alamy Live News (Alamy Stock Photo)
Now, they have been joined on the injury table by impressive young winger Gabriel Martinelli, with the attacker having sustained ligament damage during their 3-0 defeat to Brighton following a challenge by Seagulls midfielder Moises Caicedo.
After the game, Mikel Arteta revealed he feared the worst around the 21-year-old, who has managed 15 goals and 5 assists this season in a standout campaign.
“He is in a boot,” Arteta said. “It is very uncomfortable to walk. He could not play on. We need to scan him.
And, according to the Athletic, ‘Martinelli is expected to be sidelined for a number of weeks but, barring any setbacks, should return in pre-season ahead of the new campaign.’
Caicedo, who is heavily linked with a summer move to the Emirates Stadium. has since apologised for the challenge, taking to Twitter to explain to a fan that ‘If I could turn back time I wouldn’t have made that bad tackle’.
