Gabriel Jesus injury: Progress & potential return date for Arsenal star

Gabriel Jesus had a transformative effect on Arsenal's frontline during the first half of their stellar 2022/23 campaign.

While the Brazilian endured a rather lengthy goal drought before the World Cup, his significance as Mikel Arteta's focal point was distinct and he was a major factor in the Gunners boasting a five-point lead at the top of the Premier League table as club football ground to a halt in November.

So, when it was revealed in December the striker had sustained a knee injury that required surgery and would keep him sidelined for months, some, including a few Gooners, projected Arsenal's demise.

But the Gunners have continued to purr - well, until Sean Dyche got involved - in Jesus' absence with Eddie Nketiah deputising ably. Still, the defeat at Goodison Park depicted areas where Eddie falls short in comparison to the Brazilian, and his return will come as a massive boost for the entire club down the stretch.

When did Gabriel Jesus pick up his injury?

Jesus sustained medial ligament damage during Brazil's 1-0 defeat to Cameroon in an inconsequential World Cup group game. It was a disappointing and brief tournament for the Arsenal striker.

After sustaining the injury on 2 December, Arsenal confirmed four days later that the striker had successfully undergone surgery on his right knee. There was no scheduled return date, but many correctly speculated Jesus would spend months on the sidelines.

Gabriel Jesus' social media updates

There have been bits and pieces on Twitter and Instagram.

Jesus was in attendance for Arsenal's 3-2 victory over Manchester United on 22 January when he was captured speaking to MMA superstar Khabib Nurmagomedov. During the interaction, Jesus appeared to say that he was hoping to be back in “four or five weeks", which would mean he’d have been out of action for roughly three months – as many predicted once the severity of his injury was revealed.

On 1 February, the Brazilian posted more signs of progress on Instagram as he returned to the training pitch (not at Arsenal) and began running again for the first time in eight weeks.

What has Mikel Arteta said about Gabriel Jesus' return?

The Arsenal boss has been coy when discussing Jesus' progress and his potential return to the fold. The last we heard from Arteta came back in mid-January when he said the Brazilian was going to be out of action for "longer than expected".

But, seeing as the Spaniard never initially gave a time frame for the striker's return, it's hard to gauge what that actually means.

Potential return date

Going by Jesus' projection when speaking to Khabib and the striker's subsequent progress in rehab, he'll be back in action by the start of March at the very latest.

Arteta has been cautious with those that have sustained long-term injuries this season, and Jesus will not be rushed back given Nketiah's success in the Brazilian's absence. The Arsenal boss will want his first-choice striker back for when the Europa League knockouts roll around.

The Gunners progressed automatically into the round of 16, with the first legs of that round scheduled for 9 March. Arteta will hope to have Jesus available for that game.

Should the Brazilian recover at a faster rate, he could return at the end of February with the Gunners visiting Leicester on 25 February. Everton visit the Emirates on 1 March and supporters are hopeful Jesus is back in action by then.

FPL alternatives

Priced at £8.0m at the start of the season, Jesus was a shoo-in for seemingly every FPL manager on the planet. Owners initially reaped the rewards before his goalscoring form dried up as the World Cup approached, and his injury forced many to react.

Nketiah, his replacement at Arsenal, remains an astute option until Jesus returns. The Englishman is available for £6.7m and owners have been content with his return over the past few weeks.

Other smart alternatives for Jesus include Brentford's Ivan Toney (£7.7m) and Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins (£7.1m). The former has been a reliable option all season, while the latter is starting to come into his own with Unai Emery at the helm.

Some might fancy taking a chance of Joao Felix (£7.5m) with his three-game suspension drawing to a close, while Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£7.9m) looks poised to enjoy a resurgence following Sean Dyche's arrival on Merseyside.

On this edition of The Chronicles of a Gooner, Harry Symeou discusses the big news around Manchester City after it broke earlier today they are facing 100+ charges for breaching the Premier League's financial rules. How if at all does it impact Arsenal's title chances?

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