GOOD NEWS: Trainer delivers update, Arsenal return prediction, Arteta claim

Arsenal centre-forward Gabriel Jesus has been out of action for nine weeks after sustaining a knee injury during Brazil’s 2022 World Cup campaign.

The 25-year-old arrived in north London from Manchester City in a £45million deal during last summer’s transfer window. Jesus instantly hit the ground running with Mikel Arteta’s side, netting five goals and providing a further ten assists in just 14 Premier League outing before his injury.

Eddie Nketiah, who has been in stellar form since his teammate’s injury, is currently the Gunners’ only fit out-and-out striker, with Arteta undoubtedly keen to have Jesus back to support the Hale End academy graduate as soon as possible. So with that said, football.london has taken a look at all of the latest news on the former City frontman’s injury below.

Trainer post

Jesus continues to keep Arsenal supporters in the loop with how his recovery is coming along and his personal trainer Andre Cunha has now posted some footage on Instagram showing the player running outside on the grass.

Jesus has now taken to social media to deliver another update to his fans ahead of Arsenal’s clash against Everton on Saturday.

“After eight weeks”, his Instagram story caption read, accompanied by a picture of him finally back on the grass. Arsenal will hope to have him back in full training as soon as possible as they continue to hunt for their first league title since 2004, currently sitting five points clear at the top of the table.

Gabriel Jesus provides fitness update ahead of Arsenal’s clash against Everton.
Gabriel Jesus provides fitness update ahead of Arsenal’s clash against Everton. (Image: Instagram)

February prediction

Gabriel Jesus could be available for selection by the end of February, given his latest comments to Khabib Nurmagomedov, who was in attendance for the Arsenal vs Manchester United clash on January 22.

Speaking to the now-retired former UFC Champion, Jesus admitted he hopes to be back on the pitch in “four to five weeks”.

Two fixtures against Man City, in the Premier League and FA Cup, along with matches against Everton, Brentford and Aston Villa in the coming weeks will likely come too soon for Jesus, but using his own timeline, he could be available for the clash with Leicester at the end of February.

Arteta’s comments

Speaking about Jesus ahead of Sunday’s North London Derby against Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said: “He’s progressing really well, he’s working really hard, he’s in the right place in terms of the time that we set for him, but he’s still a bit far.”

When asked if Jesus would return this season, Arteta added: “I’d like to see him very quickly but I don’t think it’s gonna happen. “We’re going to have to be patient with that one. But let’s see.

“It’s a complicated surgery, in any surgery there are always a lot of things were you have to be cautious. He’s a player that’s going to push to be really fast on the pitch.”

Encouraging update

Jesus has taken to social media again to provide another encouraging update on his recovery. The striker took to Twitter to post a video over a minute and a half long.

The video includes various shots of Jesus stepping up the intensity of his recovery with boxing, stretches, body resistance training and even a clip of the Gunners striker using the leg extension machine on his injured knee with no leg brace.

Return boost

Jesus provided Arsenal fans with an update that could spell positive news for the Gunners. The Brazilian took to Instagram to provide an update.

He released an Instagram story where he is seen throwing his crutches away and captioning the post ‘Freedom Sang’, which highlights he no longer needs support during his recovery from the knee injury.

Second Instagram post

For the second week running, Jesus provided an update on how his recovery is going. The 25-year-old wrote on his Instagram story: “Second week is gone.” The caption was accompanied with three emoji’s celebrating the fact that he’s got over another difficult hurdle.

That being said, the image uploaded with the post shows that Jesus is still having to wear a knee brace. The date of when that’s set to be removed is currently unknown.

Personal trainer gives Instagram update

Jesus’ personal trainer has provided an update on how his client’s first week of rehabilitation went.

Writing on Instagram, Andre Cunha said: “First week. A big journey awaits! Tough, difficult and uncomfortable, you can bet it is! Transformer? You can bet it will!

“Feeding your heart with the vision of the future, living in the present and celebrating the short term achievements is key. Goals set and goals achieved, and so it will be, week by week, always doing a little more. Let’s go, we’re getting closer @dejesusoficial! WE FOLLOW.”

Jesus reacts to surgery on Instagram

Jesus himself has confirmed that his recovery is now well underway. Alongside a picture of him smiling with his crutches in hospital following surgery, he said on Instagram: “Hora de ir para casa (Time to go home).”

Successful surgery

Arsenal confirmed that the MCL procedure went well. A statement from the club read: “Gabriel Jesus has successfully undergone surgery to his right knee after suffering an injury during the Brazil v Cameroon World Cup group stage match on Friday.

“Gabby will now begin his rehabilitation programme. Everyone at the club is supporting Gabby and will be working hard to get him back on the pitch as soon as possible.”

Games Jesus will likely miss

If Jesus is indeed facing up to 12 weeks on the sidelines, he’s looking at a return around February 28. He could miss several big games as a result.

When Jesus could return

Jesus has suffered a medial collateral ligament injury and needed surgery to correct the issue. The Brazilian striker was expected to miss between three to four weeks initially, but the injury is much worse than first feared, with reports suggesting he could be out for three to four months.

World Cup dream ended

The knee injury brought an end to Jesus’ World Cup dream. As a result, the striker returned to London to begin his recovery. Brazil were later eliminated from the tournament by Croatia at the quarter-final stage.