1 included, 1 left out: Arsenal learn Brazil call-ups | OneFootball

Arsenal’s Gabriel Magalhaes has been called up by Brazil for the March internationals, but Gabriel Martinelli hasn’t despite making their preliminary shortlist.

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Brazil have confirmed their call-ups for the March international break, and Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes is among the list of 23 names submitted by manager Dorival Junior.

Winger Gabriel Martinelli is not, despite having featured on the initial 52-player shortlist last week.

It always seemed like an outside chance that Martinelli would be involved in the final squad, and it’s now confirmed that he won’t be.

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Martinelli has been out for a month with a hamstring injury, and the expectation is that he’ll be back in action by the end of March, if not sooner.

The winger’s absence from the final Brazil squad doesn’t necessarily mean he won’t play before the international break, as Dorival Junior may simply have opted not to select him. Even if he’s fit, it’s probably not a good idea to immediately throw the 23-year-old into World Cup qualifiers.

Brazil are set to face Colombia and Argentina over the break, so these were no easy fixtures for a reintroduction.

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Even so, it’s a shame we don’t have that guarantee that Brazil expect Martinelli to be fit within the next couple of weeks. His exact return date and whether or not he’ll be fit for Arsenal’s upcoming game against Chelsea remains unclear.