Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has told Football.London that Gabriel Martinelli needs to make it difficult for him to keep him out of the team, and has admitted that it must be tough for him not to play.
The 19-year-old forward did not play for Arsenal in their Premier League game against Leicester City away from home at the King Power Stadium on Sunday.
According to Transfermarkt.co.uk, the teenager has now been an unused substitute for the past five Premier League matches and did not play against Benfica in the Europa League last week.
The Brazilian forward has recovered from his knee injury, and while Arteta has said that the teenager has been very good in training, he wants Martinelli to make it difficult for him not to play him, adding that it is tough for him not to play.
Arteta told Football.London about Martinelli: “He needs to keep working and make things difficult for us. He’s a player who is going to give us a lot but he needs some time and we need to find the right games for him, the right connections with him on the pitch to do what he can do best.
“The way he is and the way he trains every day he’s going to be a really important player for us. When you have many options sometimes it’s difficult when you look for certain qualities in certain games.”
Continue to work hard
It must be disappointing for Martinelli not to play when he is fit, but the Brazilian should just continue to work hard in training.
There is a fierce competition for places in the Arsenal attack, and with Nicolas Pepe and Willian starting to play well, it could be get tougher for Martinelli.
However, one must remember that the Brazilian is only 19, and at that age, not many footballers get to play week in and week out.
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