Arsenal fans were ecstatic for Gabriel Martinelli on Monday afternoon after it emerged that the Brazilian has been called up to the World Cup. It is set to be his first major international tournament with the senior team.
It was always a dream for the youngster to achieve this. In a recent interview with Brazilian outlet Globo, Martinelli revealed that one of his three biggest football dreams was to play in a World Cup for Brazil.
Whilst this is an excellent achievement from the player's perspective, there is certainly questions as to whether his inclusion could hinder or benefit Arsenal with the competition taking place in between the club season. But the latter is certainly the answer, as Mikel Arteta’s side will reap the rewards from Martinelli’s place at the World Cup.
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It was confirmed by the official Brazil Twitter account that Martinelli will be wearing the no.24. In World Cup tradition, this means that the youngster will not be given regular minutes in the competition as he is considered a backup.
Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr and PSG’s Neymar Jr are ahead of Martinelli in the team’s preference of player to start on the left-hand side. This means that Martinelli will be given minimal minutes, but still has a maximum risk of injury, which is a reason why his inclusion can be looked on negatively by Arsenal fans.
However, what should also be taken into consideration is the valuable experience that Martinelli could gain by being around world superstars. Even if he is not playing regularly, being in the same camp as superstars such as Neymar will only help Martinelli grow as a player.
Many of the world’s greatest players started their World Cup careers by being bit-part players until it was their turn to start on the biggest stage. Learning from more experienced members of the squad is key.
The best example of this is Lionel Messi. In the 2006 World Cup, the then 18-year-old only started one game in the competition against the Netherlands and was used as a late sub in two other matches without playing in Argentina’s elimination match against Germany in the quarter-finals.
It was the experience of Messi learning the trade from superstars who are more senior to him, which gave him the needed platform to elevate his game. And this is something Martinelli could also benefit from.
With the World Cup strangely taking place during the club season, it has also invited the likelihood of more injuries, meaning that if a Brazilian attacker is sidelined, then Martinelli could also get the nod to start, which would increase his maturity as a player by being handed the responsibility to start for Brazil at such a young age.
The injury factor is of course a concern for Arsenal, but Martinelli’s inclusion in the Brazilian national team should not be looked as a hindrance, but more so a benefit, as Arsenal fans could be seeing a more fine-tuned Gabriel Martinelli by the time he returns to the club in late December if Brazil are to progress that far into the competition.
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