Mikel Arteta urges fans to be patient with Gabriel Martinelli

Gabriel Martinelli is fit again but Arteta wants fans not to expect too much from the Brazil international.

The Brazil international has been out with a serious knee injury in training since March.

Since his arrival to Emirates 18 months ago, Martinelli has scored 10 goals in 26 appearances but has only played nine games under Mikel Arteta.

But the Spanish manager is worried about putting too much pressure on the teenage forward when he returns to action at the Emirates.

Mikel Arteta said: “Gabi is another one that even in a moment of adversity, you see him training and everything he brings to the team, his energy, his passion, his motivation, is translating positive emotions to everybody.”

“He tries and goes and goes again and wants to score a goal. He is ruthless in training in every single action and the more players and staff you have that add that, at the end that gets translated to what happens on the football pitch and over time you will be stable.

“Gabi’s pressing brings something different to the team and we need players like him. Time is the key word in this industry, and nobody is going to give you time!

“The moment the ball doesn’t go in the net and you lose a football match, you’re going to question all the rest, so with Gabi it’s the same.

“Now he needs time. He’s done it for a period of time and in certain moments throughout a game, but consistently for three years, two or one? He’s never done it. I’m sorry, he’s never done it, so we cannot put that pressure on him.

“It’s like with Bukayo and other young players that we have, they’ve never done it in their career, so why do you expect him to do it today? And in which environment? In which context? Patience, but he’s a positive guy to have back on the team because he’s such a character.”

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