Gabriel Martinelli makes Arsenal promise to teammate Bukayo Saka after injury blow

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Arsenal’s time without Bukayo Saka commenced against Ipswich Town at the Emirates on Friday night.

The Gunners will struggle to replace Saka, who was forced to withdraw in the first half of Arsenal’s win against Crystal Palace.

Saka left Selhurst Park on crutches as Mikel Arteta’s greatest fear was realised, facing a number of weeks without his star attacker available.

The 23-year-old will be out of action for the foreseeable future, calling on several Arsenal players to step up in his absence.

• READ MORE: How long Bukayo Saka will be out for as torn hamstring injury details explained in Arsenal nightmare

Gabriel Martinelli shares promise to Bukayo Saka

Some would have viewed the winger’s injury as inevitable considering the number of minutes Saka has played since 2020.

Arteta has had little choice but to rely on the Hale End graduate, who is the Gunners’ shining light in the final third.

Now, the Arsenal manager must find a way to cope without Saka’s brilliance, with Gabriel Martinelli being one option to replace the right-forward.

Many believe that Martinelli can replace Saka, as pressure builds on the Brazilian to step up in what has been a rather underwhelming campaign so far.

Arteta showed his trust in the left-winger by utilising him on the right against Ipswich, giving Martinelli the chance to show his adaptability.

Speaking on Saka’s injury to Amazon Prime Video prior to the game, Martinelli made a clear promise to his teammate ahead of his lengthy time on the sidelines. 

“B [Saka] is a great player, he’s going to be out now and we need to take responsibility as well,” Martinelli said to former Gunner Theo Walcott.

“With the potential we’ve got in the team, we’re going to do our best for the team and for him as well,” he promised.

Considering that the majority of Arsenal’s threat comes from the right side, now is the time for Martinelli to consistently add to his goal tally.

Martinelli has to replicate Saka’s level

There are very few players in Europe like Saka, who has grown into one of the most dangerous wingers in the Premier League.

While the 23-year-old is one of the best on the right, Martinelli’s standards have dropped considerably on the left since his phenomenal 2022/23 campaign. 

Now, the Brazilian must look to elevate his game in order to bridge the gap in his teammates absence, with the numbers showing the work that has to be done.

Martinelli is more than capable of filling the void left by Saka, in what is set to be a testing time for those in N5.