The Copa America, a battle for South American football supremacy, returns this summer. The showpiece event for the United States runs from June 20 to July 14, with a total of 32 games featuring 24 national teams separated into four groups.
Given that Arsenal stars Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Magalhaes made the Brazil squad, I’m guessing the majority of Gooners will root for Brazil. Of course, Brazil is one of the favourites for this year’s Copa America; when are they not?
Martinelli was fit and ready for the competition, but Gabriel had an arm sling on his hand after the Everton game, which must have worried the Gooners.
According to speculation, he looked set to miss the Copa America due to a shoulder injury he sustained against Everton in the season’s final game, but it has now been confirmed that the injury is not serious and the arm sling he was seen wearing is only preventative.
Due to another injury, the Arsenal defender did not receive an Olympic call-up in the summer of 2021. Then, at least a year later, in 2022, he missed the World Cup for various reasons. For sure, it would have been unfortunate if he were unlucky for the third time.
Although the Brazilian will miss Brazil’s friendly matches, it is being reported that the medical team expect him to return in time for the Copa America. It was disappointing that, following a successful season with Arsenal, the Arsenal defender would miss out on another major tournament, but he is now ready to compete with the Brazilian team in the Copa America.
Given his impressive performance for Arsenal last season, hopefully they will trust him to play a significant role. There are hints they will; in fact, I’ve read somewhere that the Brazilian technical bench is worried about whether they can cope without him.
