Arsenal have dropped a major hint over a return for Gabriel Jesus in the near future as the Brazilian striker recovers from a long-term knee injury. It comes as a huge boost to the Gunners, who will need to do everything in their power to ensure they win the Premier League title this season.
The side currently sit top of the league, five points clear of Manchester City after an electric start to the campaign that then continued. Jesus was a large part of the run that the side have been on so far, adding quality in the forward areas since joining in the summer.
A knee injury in the World Cup meant that Arsenal fans feared the worst, with several months given as the timeline for the absence. The side have managed well, but the return of the 25-year-old could be huge as Mikel Arteta revealed that he was pushing to make a quick comeback.
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“He’s progressing really well,” the manager said in February. “He’s doing more and more on the field and he’s not reacting [negatively], so that’s really positive. We want to have him as quickly as possible but also respect the time-frame we got from the doctor and the specialists. He’s really pushing the boundaries right now.”
There have since been reports claiming there could be a return for Jesus in Thursday's Europa League tie with Sporting CP, with the Times reporting that Arteta will decide whether he will travel. football.london understands the striker is unlikely to be able to travel to Portugal as he continues to recover from a knee injury, although the club have not entirely ruled out the possibility. The striker was spotted in first team training at London Colney on Wednesday morning, with the squad set to fly to Portugal after the session.
The Gunners themselves may have hinted that a decision has already been made about the Brazilian's potential involvement on Thursday, with a post on Twitter that features pictures of Jesus in the gym. The caption reads: "Step by step," mimicking a post that the Brazilian made himself in the past few weeks.
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