Arteta Confirms Season-Ending Absence To Key Duo Ahead Of Crucial Clash.

In a significant blow to Arsenal’s squad, manager Mikel Arteta has announced that Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Martinelli will be sidelined for the remainder of the season. This setback leaves the Gunners without the talented duo for their crucial upcoming Premier League encounters against Nottingham Forest and Wolves.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference ahead of Arsenal’s away trip to Nottingham on Saturday, Arteta disclosed the unfortunate news, stating,

“They are both out for the rest of the season. Gabi [Martinelli] has sustained a rather serious injury, and we will need to assess the extent of his absence in the coming week. As for Alex [Zinchenko], it’s a calf issue.”

Martinelli’s injury dashes his hopes of surpassing the record for the most goals scored in a Premier League campaign by a Brazilian player. The Arsenal winger had impressively matched Roberto Firmino’s landmark of 15 goals from the 2017/2018 season, only to be forced to the sidelines for the remaining two matches after suffering an ankle injury during the Brighton clash last weekend.

The injury to Martinelli occurred as a result of a robust tackle from Moises Caicedo, who coincidentally is also a transfer target for Arsenal. This unfortunate incident led to an early substitution for the young Brazilian talent.

According to reports from the Evening standard , Martinelli’s injury is not deemed severe, and he is expected to make a full recovery ahead of the commencement of pre-season training. This news will come as a relief to Arsenal fans, who eagerly anticipate the return of the promising Ukrainian and the Brazilian winger for the upcoming campaign.