Games don’t come much bigger than Sunday’s clash between Arsenal and Manchester City. Win, and the Gunners can open up a four point gap over Pep Guardiola’s side with just nine games remaining. Lose, and Mikel Arteta’s men slip from leading the way in the Premier League title race to third place.
With so much at stake, Arteta will understandably want as strong a squad available to him as possible. Unfortunately though, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel are both injury doubts after withdrawing from their respective international squads over the most recent break.
There is hope that the pair could all be involved at the Etihad Stadium, though. When it comes to Gabriel Martinelli, however, the picture is far less clear.
The Brazilian has been absent since sustaining a foot injury against Sheffield United. Rumours had suggested that he could be out for the season as a result, but football.london understands that’s not the case.
He’s already made a miraculous recovery from injury to have a massive effect in a match against City this season once, and there’s a hope he could do the same again. Still, though, Arteta will be preparing contingency plans. Here football.london takes a look at who could fill in for Martinelli if he is unavailable.
Leandro Trossard
Perhaps the most obvious pick is Leandro Trossard. The Belgian has generally started on the left when Martinelli has been unavailable in the past and sometimes even got in ahead of him on merit.
Trossard has shown he can deliver in big games after scoring crucial goals against Liverpool and Porto already this season. He’s a very different player from Martinelli though.
While Martinelli will look to use his pace to stretch opposition backlines, Trossard prefers to come to feet and link with his teammates. He’s also superb off the bench, having scored against City in the Community Shield victory as a sub – albeit a heavily deflected effort. This could count against his chances of starting the game if Martinelli is out.
Reiss Nelson
Nelson has yet to start a Premier League game this season, but Arteta has shown a willingness to use him in big games before. In January’s FA Cup defeat to Liverpool it was the Hale Ender who was given the nod on the left wing where he played pretty well.
His directness and pace make him probably the most like-for-like replacement for Martinelli if Arteta wants to try and get in behind the City defence.
The 24-year-old has played just 80 minutes in the league since the turn of the year though. While he is an option, it’s hard to see Arteta opting for him.
Emile Smith Rowe
This may seem a strange suggestion. It’s not that Smith Rowe doesn’t have the quality, but rather that he’s been preferred in a central midfield role rather than on the left wing.
It’s a position that he’s not played since 2022, with Arteta suggesting the Hale Ender’s future lies in the interior. If Arteta is willing to change his mind, though, Smith Rowe has shown he can be a difference maker out wide.
Gabriel JesusÂ
Perhaps the most likely competition for Trossard if Martinelli is unavailable is Gabriel Jesus. The Brazilian played on the left wing earlier in the season during the North London Derby draw with Tottenham and the 4-0 win over Bournemouth. He did well in those games even if he didn’t score.
It’s a role he played many times when he was in a City shirt and one he could definitely replicate for Arsenal. In the reverse fixture Jesus played on the right wing to cover for the injured Bukayo Saka and did a superb job.
If he’s not needed to do the same with Saka’s injury concern, then the Brazilian could be a great option on the left. He’s experienced, disciplined, quick, strong and skilful. Certainly someone Arteta should be considering given Kai Havertz’s good recent run up front.
