Mikel Arteta has said that Gabriel Jesus is “very close” to an Arsenal return, but is cautious about how soon the Brazil forward is reintegrated into first team matches.
The 28-year-old has been out for 11 months after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury against Manchester United in January, but has stepped up his recovery in recent weeks.
Arteta mentioned the possibility of a behind-closed-doors match to help Jesus get up to speed earlier this month, and in his pre-Chelsea press conference, he said: “It did happen. Gabi (Jesus) participated.
“Ethan (Nwaneri) as well because he wanted some minutes, which we had an opportunity with different players who needed a bit of exposure and competition. It was very positive.”
Asked whether Jesus would need more internal matches or if the upcoming festive period, when Arsenal play nine games before the end of 2025, offers a chance to throw him straight in, the Arsenal manager added: “We have to see. He’s been out 11 months and you need that progression to see how his body and that knee reacts, and what else he needs.
“With the players that are available as well, it has to make sense with the balance of the squad. The good thing is it’s very close at the moment.
“It’s what we see every single day and how he reacts to the changes he had in load. Then he needs to get into the chemistry of the team, understanding the things in match-time which is very different to anything he tried to do in training. It’s about making those gaps as short as possible.”
Before his injury last season, Jesus scored six goals in four games around the turn of the year. Since then, Arsenal’s squad has changed in various ways, with eight summer signings and already existing players such as Mikel Merino being used in different roles.
Jesus has typically knitted together attacks for Arsenal when fit and, asked whether he still sees those qualities in the forward, Arteta said: “It’s always been one of Gabi’s qualities, the capacity to relate, connect and make other players better. He still has that and now he has to find a way to do it with some very new players.”
Fellow forward Leandro Trossard was forced off in the first half with a calf injury in Arsenal’s midweek win over Bayern Munich.
“With Leo, there’s another test today,” said Arteta, who was speaking ahead the league leaders’ trip to second-placed Chelsea on Sunday. “We have to see how he’s feeling. It doesn’t look much. It is a potential chance (he will be back)”
Arsenal are yet to have the results of scans for Gabriel Magalhaes, Viktor Gyokeres and Kai Havertz, but the Arsenal manager was optimistic about their respective recoveries.
“He (Gabriel) is evolving really well. We have to wait a bit longer for the scan to be precise on the timings, but I’m quite confident,” Arteta said.
“Especially the way Gabi takes every injury and the way he’s going to push everybody that it’s not going to be that long. I don’t know (if he will return before the new year) we have to wait and see.
“They (Gyokeres and Havertz) are getting closer and closer. We are very positive with both of them.”
