Arsenal’s Brazilians Return for Pre-Season Clash in Dublin

Arsenal’s pre-season steps up a gear in Dublin on Wednesday night, and two familiar faces are finally ready to join the march.

Gabriel and Gabriel Martinelli, fresh from World Cup duty with Brazil and a mandated extended break, missed the behind-closed-doors win over MK Dons on July 25 and sat out the 4-1 victory against Girona in Spain. They trained with the group last week, watched from the sidelines, and waited.

Their wait should end at the Aviva Stadium.

Brazilians back in the frame

Both Gabriels are expected to feature against Real Betis as Mikel Arteta sharpens his squad for the season ahead. Match fitness remains the priority, not minutes for the sake of it, so their involvement is likely to be controlled rather than full-blooded.

Arteta showed his hand against Girona. Piero Hincapie, Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyokeres all started, all came off after 30 minutes. A clear pattern: build rhythm, avoid risk. The same careful approach could apply to Gabriel and Martinelli, easing them in while keeping one eye firmly on the competitive fixtures to come.

For Martinelli, there is the added intrigue of reclaiming his natural territory on the left. Max Dowman and summer arrival Christos Tzolis both scored in the Girona win, but the Brazilian’s return gives Arteta a different level of directness and threat from that flank. Tzolis may have to make way so Martinelli can get valuable minutes in his favoured role.

Managing minutes, managing bodies

At the back, there is another balancing act. Ben White banked a solid 60 minutes on his return from a knee injury against Girona, a crucial step after three months out. He came through unscathed, which will have pleased the staff, but that very fact could see him protected in Dublin. Arsenal will not want to gamble so soon after his first outing.

If White is held back, youngster Marli Salmon comes into sharper focus as an option at right-back. Jurrien Timber remains doubtful, so Salmon may be asked to step into a senior environment again and ride the challenge.

Midfield patched, but promising

In midfield, the picture is clear: the captain is close, but not quite ready. Martin Odegaard is due back at London Colney this week after his post-World Cup break, yet a lack of training time means Betis should come too soon. That opens the door again for Ethan Nwaneri, who continues to make the most of every pre-season opportunity.

Nwaneri is expected to be joined in the middle by Havertz and Myles Lewis-Skelly. It is a youthful, experimental engine room, but one born of necessity. Martin Zubimendi, Eberechi Eze, Declan Rice and Mikel Merino are all still away on their holidays after the summer’s exertions, while a move for Bruno Guimaraes has already been knocked back by Newcastle.

So Arteta leans on what he has: a blend of emerging talent and established names building sharpness. Havertz, managed carefully against Girona, can add structure and experience around Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly, while the youngsters supply legs and ambition.

Sharpening the edge

The 4-1 win over Girona, with goals from Dowman and Tzolis among others, underlined the depth and hunger in this squad. But pre-season is not about scorelines. It is about patterns, partnerships, and players finding their stride.

In Dublin, the spotlight shifts to the returning Brazilians, the kids in midfield, and a defensive unit still being wrapped in cotton wool. It is another rehearsal, another step, another chance for Arteta to see who is ready to carry this Arsenal side into the new campaign.