Gabriel Jesus' omission from the Brazil squad for their upcoming friendlies against Ghana and Tunisia came as a huge shock given the way the new Arsenal forward has started the season.
Jesus scored three goals and claimed three assists in his first five games for the Gunners, but Brazil manager Tite has left him out of the squad for this month's friendlies, selecting the likes of Roberto Firmino, Antony and Richarlison over the 25-year-old.
However, Jesus' absence from the squad isn't necessarily a blow for his World Cup chances. According to Tim Stillman, a lot of Brazilian journalists believe Tite wants to take a closer look at those on the periphery of the squad. Therefore, Jesus has likely been left out as he is almost guaranteed to be in the World Cup squad, and Tite is using the friendlies as an opportunity for fringe players to impress ahead of the tournament - like Flamengo striker Pedro and Matheus Cunha of Atletico Madrid, with their places far from guaranteed.
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Jesus has been capped 56 times by Brazil and Tite is a big fan of the Arsenal striker, who started every game at the last World Cup in 2018.
However, the picture if less clear for Gabriel Martinelli. The 21-year-old is one of those on the periphery of Tite's squad, but he also hasn't been called up for the upcoming friendly matches. The forward, who has scored three times this season, received his debut for his country in March and has made three appearances in total.
Unlike Jesus, Martinelli's omission from the squad doesn't represent a positive picture for his World Cup chances.
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