Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has announced that Gabriel Jesus, the talented 26-year-old striker, will be sidelined for the first few weeks of the Gunners’ 2023-24 season.
This setback comes after a recent knee operation to address discomfort related to a previous knee injury.
The absence of Gabriel Jesus was evident during the Emirates Cup triumph over Monaco, where Eddie Nketiah stepped up and led the line for Arsenal, helping them secure a 5-4 penalty shootout victory after equalizing Youssouf Fofana’s opener.
Arteta expressed disappointment over Jesus’s injury, especially since he had shown significant improvement and form during the recent USA tour and the game against Barcelona.
Speaking to the media, Arteta explained, “Unfortunately, he has had a little procedure this morning, he had some discomfort in his knee that has been causing some issues and they had to go in and resolve it. It’s not something major, but he’s going to be out for a few weeks, I think.”
Jesus’s absence will impact the Gunners’ upcoming fixtures, ruling him out of the Community Shield clash with Manchester City and the initial Premier League games against Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace, and Fulham.
During Jesus’s previous injury absence, Arsenal’s attacking line was managed effectively by the trio of Nketiah, Leandro Trossard, and Gabriel Martinelli.
Arteta also has the option of relying on Folarin Balogun, who impressed during his loan spell with Reims. However, any potential move for Balogun has hit a roadblock, with Arsenal holding firm on their £50m asking price.
Despite the injury concerns and transfer speculations, Arteta reassured fans that the plans for Balogun remain unaffected. He stated, “The plan with Flo doesn’t change at all, but unfortunately, with Gabby, we are not going to have him. We have other options to play with different qualities of players, so we will adapt.”
In addition to Jesus’s injury, Arsenal has other players on the treatment table, including Albert Sambi Lokonga (muscle), Reiss Nelson (toe), and Oleksandr Zinchenko (calf). Arteta, however, expressed optimism about Zinchenko’s swift return to action.
On a separate note, Bukayo Saka, the promising England attacker, was unavailable for the Emirates Cup match due to illness.