Arsenal are flying right now, sitting atop the Premier League table by five points at World Cup break. However, their league title charge just took a major blow with the unfortunate news that striker Gabriel Jesus will miss three months (at least), of action.
The 25-year-old suffered knee ligament damage in Brazil’s final World Cup group stage match, a loss to Cameroon.
He then underwent an MRI scan on Saturday, and Brazilian TV network SporTV reported later that night that the injury is even worse than was initially feared. Yes, when we say three months plus, we mean he’ll be away from the Arsenal for three months plus.
His timeline for return, optimistically, is March 2023.
The medical assessment showed that Gabriel Jesus will need to undergo knee surgery in order to repair the damage caused. On the same day, and in the same match, Brazil saw another player, Alex Telles, suffer a similar knee injury. For Telles, his tournament is also over.
For Arsenal, now Eddie Nketiah is the only fit senior team striker now currently available. However, Gabriel Martinelli could fill in at the position, but he primarily plays out wide.
Arsenal return to action against West Ham United on Boxing Day. Brazil crushed South Korea 4-1 today, to move on to the quarterfinals.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
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