Arsenal have initiated talks with Brazil in order to bring Gabriel Jesus back to the club after he was ruled out of the World Cup with a knee injury – but he is poised to remain in Qatar.
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Reports in Brazil have claimed that Jesus could be out of action for three months and may need surgery after sustaining a knee injury in Brazil’s 1-0 defeat against Cameroon on Friday.
Arsenal are waiting to discover the extent of the issue, but the Brazilian FA confirmed on Saturday that the issue would curtail Jesus’ tournament; and his absence is a huge blow for Brazil boss Tite, who is still sweating on the fitness of Neymar.
But Mikel Arteta will also rue Jesus’ setback following the impact the 25-year-old has made at Arsenal after his big-money move from Manchester City.
The Gunners are now braced for Jesus to miss some of their festive games once the Premier League resumes this month – but his injury is not set to accelerate his return to the club.
According to ESPN, Arsenal sporting director Edu has been in contact with Brazil to discuss bringing their striker back to the club.
However, Jesus is expected to remain in Qatar with Brazil rather than returning to London. The news will come as a blow to Arsenal, who had plans on bring Jesus back to the capital as soon as possible.
The Gunners headed into the mid-season break with a five-point lead in the Premier League. They return to action with a clash against West Ham on Boxing Day, but it now appears likely that Arteta will head into the derby without his main forward.
Although Jesus has endured a goal drought recently, he has been a hit in north London, notching five goals & six assists since arriving from the Etihad in a £45m deal in the summer.
And his absence could have big repercussions for an Arsenal team who are bidding to end their exile from the Champions League and mount a major title challenge for the first time since Arsene Wenger’s tenure.
