Gabriel Martinelli’s status for this summer’s Copa America is up in the air after the Arsenal star appeared to suffer an injury in Brazil training. The electric forward was left in a heap after a hefty collision with teammate Eder Militao, which led to the 23-year-old being helped off the pitch.
Martinelli was expected to operate in a rotational role in attack behind the likes of Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo in Dorvial Junior’s attack. However, his struggles after the challenge suggest that his future regarding the tournament could be in doubt. With footage circulating online of the incident, many Arsenal fans have been left outraged by the apparent ‘lack of remorse’ shown by Militao after he wiped out his compatriot.
Eder Militao Angers Arsenal Fans With Tackle on Martinelli
The defender was seen smiling whilst his teammate was escorted off.
In the footage below, the Gunners star can be seen on the receiving end of a strong challenge by the Real Madrid central defender. With Martinelli being the sharper of the two, Militao opted to follow the old adage that if you can’t win the ball, then take the man.
Following the tackle, the 26-year-old defender can be seen briefly checking on his fallen teammate before walking away seemingly unfazed as Martinelli looked to be in some discomfort.
After receiving treatment on the pitch, the attacker was helped to his feet by members of the Brazil backroom staff and number one goalkeeper Alisson. Militao can once again be seen approaching his peer, but he seemed to shrug off the incident as he was caught laughing with national team captain Marquinhos.
The response from fans online has been damning, with many unhappy with the lack of care the former Porto man showed towards Martinelli in the aftermath.
With Brazil’s first game in the Copa America less than a week away, the Arsenal forward will be hoping to shake off the knock quickly to make himself available for the opener.
Martinelli’s Believes Brazil Can Win Copa America
The Brazilians have been under pressure in recent times.
It has been a turbulent time of late for the five-time world champions, with there being a high turnover of managers since Tite left the role following the 2022 World Cup. A poor performance in a recent friendly against the United States led to Brazilian icon Ronaldinho stating that he would no longer be supporting the team for the tournament, labeling the group as the worst Brazil team in history. Whilst it was later revealed to be a PR stunt, this no doubt brought some unwanted attention to the young squad.
Despite their recent difficulties, Martinelli remains confident that Seleção Canarinha can go all the way this summer:
“We have every chance of winning the Copa America. Everyone knows the weight of this shirt. We are the best team in the world.
“People know the quality of our players. We have a lot, a lot of quality. There are many young players coming in who have raised the level of our team. We play in the team with the most history in the world. We know the responsibility we have.”
Source: GiveMeSport
