Former Arsenal striker, Emmanuel Adebayor, has expressed concern over Gabriel Martinelli’s limited playing time, suggesting it could become Mikel Arteta’s biggest challenge if not carefully managed.
Martinelli made headlines on Sunday by scoring a dramatic 93rd-minute equaliser against Manchester City after coming off the bench.
However, the Brazilian forward has slipped down the pecking order under Arteta, now considered more of a substitute when the squad is fully fit.
Speaking to Premier League Productions, Adebayor warned that if Martinelli doesn’t secure a regular spot in the first team, tensions could rise in the locker room, potentially leading the player to leave the club.
“I think that’s where man management becomes very important because you have to be talking to all these players to keep them happy all the time even knowing that they’re on the bench.
“When I was on the bench at Arsenal, I knew that I had Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Robin van Persie in front of me, but it was not easy because every weekend I’m in his (Wenger’s) office telling him ‘I’m here to play, I have to play’.
“This is when you need a manager that can calm the situation down. We have never seen Arteta go through those moments, and I think this is the right year for him to go through this.
“We all have our individual things in our mind whether you like it or not. But at the end of the day, we put into the collective. We have to think of what I can do, what I’m going to bring into the team. If you’re on the bench, it’s hard.
“Martinelli, I think in a couple of weeks we will lose him because if he stays on the bench after this game the head will start going, then the body will follow, then he will spoil the whole training ground.”
