Arsenal have revealed that Brazilian striker Gabriel Jesus has picked up a knee injury after he missed out on a place in their Emirates Cup squad.
The former Manchester City man was a notable absentee from the teamsheet to face Monaco on Wednesday evening, as Eddie Nketiah was selected to lead the line.
Jesus has been a regular fixture in the Arsenal XI during their period of summer friendlies, playing four games and netting one goal in their 5-0 thumping of MLS All-Stars.
The 26-year-old lasted 79 minutes of Arsenal’s final USA tour victory over Barcelona last week before being replaced by Nketiah, but the Gunners have now confirmed another injury blow for the striker.
Arsenal did not reveal how long Jesus is expected to be sidelined for, but the forward’s issue will be assessed ahead of Sunday’s Community Shield showdown with Manchester City and their Premier League opener versus Nottingham Forest next weekend.
Jesus memorably missed a large chunk of the 2022-23 season with a knee injury sustained at the World Cup, sitting out a total of 15 games between December and March.
Despite his lengthy layoff, Jesus recorded a respectable return of 11 goals and seven assists in 26 games during his debut campaign in North London, playing a crucial role in propelling Arsenal back into the Champions League.
Mikel Arteta has already worked around a plethora of fitness concerns in pre-season, and Jesus’s fellow striker Folarin Balogun is also absent from Wednesday’s game due to a foot problem.
Left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko is also recovering from his latest groin problem, while Reiss Nelson has been suffering from a toe injury but should not be sidelined for much longer.
Midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga, meanwhile, missed Arsenal’s USA tour with a muscular injury, although the Belgian is being linked with a loan move to Premier League new boys Burnley.
On a brighter note, Declan Rice has recovered from a knock to make his first Emirates start, where he will join Thomas Partey and Emile Smith Rowe – featuring from the off for the first time since May 2022 – in the Arsenal midfield.
Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka have both been named on the bench, as Fabio Vieira and Gabriel Martinelli support Nketiah in the final third, while Jurrien Timber also makes his Emirates bow at right-back.
Despite the absence of Zinchenko, Kieran Tierney remains consigned to the bench, as Takehiro Tomiyasu joins Timber, Jakub Kiwior and William Saliba in front of Aaron Ramsdale.
Arsenal thumped Sevilla 6-0 in 2022 to win their sixth Emirates Cup title, but they suffered a 1-0 defeat to Monaco in the 2014 edition.
About The Author
