Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has expressed significant concern over Gabriel Jesus following the forward’s injury during Sunday’s FA Cup match against Manchester United.
Jesus, who had been in strong form recently, started the game on the right wing, covering for Kai Havertz in the ‘number nine’ role. However, he was forced to leave the pitch before halftime after a collision with Bruno Fernandes and an awkward fall that left him in considerable pain.
“Big worry. That’s my feeling,” Arteta said after the match. “He had to come off on a stretcher with a lot of pain. Touching his knee, it’s not looking good.”
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The silver lining for Arsenal is that this injury doesn’t appear to be a recurrence of the knee problem Jesus suffered during the 2022 World Cup, which sidelined him for several months.
“I think it’s the other [knee]. The worrying factor is the feeling that he had. He had to come off and the pain that he was in,” Arteta explained.
With injuries already affecting key players like Bukayo Saka and Ethan Nwaneri, there have been calls from supporters for Arsenal to sign a new forward during the January transfer window. Jesus had been in fine form, scoring six goals in his last seven appearances, and the team has struggled with a consistent central striker.
However, Arteta downplayed the need for new signings, reiterating his trust in the players currently at his disposal and emphasizing that recruitment decisions are beyond his control.
“I mean, we miss from various ways, from different plays. And I understand that, but I cannot love our players more. And I focus very much on the ones that we have to perform at the highest level. That’s it. The rest is not in our hands, in my hands,” he said.
