Arsenal dealt blow as star forward misses first-team training ahead of UCL clash against Porto

Arsenal dealt blow as star forward misses first-team training ahead of UCL clash against Porto - Reports

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta reacts during a match.

Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli has reportedly missed the team's training session ahead of its must-win UEFA Champions League clash against Porto.

The Gunners will host the Portuguese giants at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, March 12. Mikel Arteta's men are looking to overturn a 1-0 deficit from last month's first leg in Portugal, where they fell to Galeno's second-half stoppage-time strike.

According to football.london (via GiveMeSport), they may have to do so without the services of Martinelli. The report stated that he missed his side's training session on Monday, March 11, a day before the crunch fixture.

The same report added that the Brazilian was spotted in crutches after Arsenal's 6-0 thrashing of Sheffield United in the Premier League on March 4. Martinelli was substituted in the 64th minute of that match and didn't feature in his team's 2-1 win over Brentford on March 9.

In his absence, Leandro Trossard started on the left wing against the Bees. Trossard put in a good shift, recording three key passes and two shots on target before being replaced by Reiss Nelson in the 79th minute. The Belgian, however, lacks the pace and directness of Martinelli.

This season, Martinelli has recorded eight goals and five assists in 32 appearances across competitions. Two of those goals have come in four Champions League outings.

Who else is on Arsenal's injury list ahead of Porto clash?

Apart from Gabriel Martinelli, Arsenal have two key injury concerns heading into their Champions League match against Porto.

Versatile defender Jurrien Timber remains on the sidelines as he recovers from an ACL injury sustained during the Gunners' 2023-24 Premier League opener. The Dutchman, 22, recently returned to first-team training and could feature prior to the end of the season, but will certainly miss the game on Tuesday.

The other key name is right-back Takehiro Tomiyasu, who suffered a calf injury during his side's 2-1 defeat to Fulham on December 31 last year. He is a doubt for the clash with Porto, but Mikel Arteta has stated that he could return soon (as quoted by football.london).

However, on the positive side of things, Arteta once again has both Thomas Partey and Oleksandr Zinchenko to call upon.

Partey has played in each of Arsenal's last two Premier League matches after returning from a long-term thigh injury. Meanwhile, Zinchenko came off the bench against Brentford for his first match since the 3-1 win over Liverpool on February 4. The Ukrainian was dealing with a calf injury.