Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has admitted there are significant concerns about Gabriel Jesus after the striker was sent off during the season FA Cup game on Sunday against Manchester United.
Jesus started the game on the right after having played in top form in several recent games as a replacement for Kai Havertz in the number nine role. But the Brazilian was forced to retire before half-time after colliding with Bruno Fernandes and falling heavily, causing him considerable discomfort.
“Big concern. That’s my feeling,” reflected Arteta afterwards.
“He had to be put on a stretcher in great pain. Him touching his knee doesn’t look good.”
The silver lining for Arsenal at this stage is that the problem Jesus suffered at the 2022 World Cup, which sidelined him for almost four months, does not appear to be recurring.
“I think it’s the other thing [knee]. The worrying factor is the feeling he had. “He had to get off and the pain he was in,” explained Arteta.
There were already calls from fans for Arsenal to strengthen themselves with a new striker during the January transfer window, and those calls have only increased following Jesus’ injury. Bukayo Saka and Ethan Nwaneri are already out with muscle problems, while Jesus has scored six goals in his last seven appearances. The Gunners have been missing a real center forward for some time anyway.
Arteta played down the situation and reiterated that he remains confident and focused on the players still available to him, stressing that he has no control over potential recruitment.
“I mean, we miss in different ways, from different plays. And I understand that, but I can’t love our players more. And I’m very focused on those we need to deliver at the highest level. That’s all. The rest is not in our hands, in my hands,” he said.