Arsenal have not only stayed top of the league without Gabriel Jesus they have opened up a five point gap to second placed Manchester City. On top of that they have a game in hand and could yet move further clear with the first of two heavyweight clashes against Pep Guardiola's side next Wednesday.
The two matches could still prove pivotal to the title race and Arsenal fans will be excited to see progress being made by their star duo Gabriel Jesus and Emile Smith Rowe after lengthy abscences from both players. Jesus is yet to play since the World Cup whilst Smith Rowe has had a stop-start season.
Their gradual implementation back into the squad would be a huge boost for the second half of the campaign with added quality in the frontline. Not that goals have been lacking, Eddie Nketiah has been a brilliant deputy for Jesus, scoring all of his goals this season since the Brazilian's last appearance.
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Elsewhere Leandro Trossard has shown early signs of promise after his move from Brighton whilst Bukayo Saka continues to dazzle on the right. With Arteta now looking for a response to the 1-0 defeat at Everton football.london rounds up the latest injury news for the Gunners.
Emile Smith Rowe
A groin issue has plagued Smith Rowe's season thus far with the 22-year-old limited to just five Premier League appearances so far this term.
The Hale End academy graduate did return with substitute appearances against Tottenham and Oxford United but was missing for the FA Cup clash against Manchester City as football.london understands he is suffering from a thigh strain and was left out as a precaution.
This issue also ruled him out for the trip to Everton and it is currently unknown as to whether or not he will be available for selection for Brentford.
Expected return date: N/A
Gabriel Jesus
Having suffered medial ligament damage whilst playing for Brazil against Cameroon in the World Cup group stages, Jesus returned to London to undergo surgery on his knee, with an expectation that he will be out for at least another month of footballing action.
Speaking to former UFC Champion Khabib Nurmagomedov at the Emirates Stadium last month, Jesus admitted he hopes to be back on the pitch in "four to five weeks". On Wednesday, February 1 the 25-year-old delivered a fresh update on his fitness status, posting a picture on Instagram of himself back on the training pitch.
He has since been seen running in a post on Instagram which he captioned: "After eight weeks," whilst his personal trainer Andre Cunha shared a video of him running, exciting fans.
Expected return date: February / March 2023.
What Arteta has said: "He’s progressing really well, he’s working really hard, he’s in the right place in terms of the time that we set for him, but he’s still a bit far.
"I’d like to see him very quickly but I don’t think it’s gonna happen. We’re gonna have to be patient with that one. But let’s see. It’s a complicated surgery, in any surgery, there are always a lot of things were you have to be cautious He’s a player that’s going to push to be really fast on the pitch."
Reiss Nelson
The extent of Nelson's hamstring injury was unknown, with Arteta admitting after the friendly with Juventus in December that it could be problematic. A positive update recently emerged with Nelson posting on his Instagram story where he is seen running on the treadmill.
However, since then the 23-year-old has been pictured in training and could now be expected to return for the game against Brentford.
Expected return date: Brentford (H) - February 11
Mohamed Elneny
Elneny started in the FA Cup win over Oxford United and played the whole 90 minutes. However, the Egyptian was absent for Arteta's squad for the 2-0 win at Tottenham, with a knee issue picked up in training ahead of the clash being assessed. Additionally, there was no place on the bench to face Manchester United.
A club statement last week then confirmed that the former Basel man will be out for an extended period of time, although no timescale was given on his expected return. "Following an injury sustained in a recent training session, subsequent assessments have confirmed that Mohamed Elneny has a significant injury to his right knee," the update read.
"Mo has had successful surgery in London and will be ruled out for an extended period of time. A more detailed timescale will be established once the early stages of rehabilitation have been completed.
"Everyone at the club will be offering Mo all the support he needs and working hard with him so he can return to action as soon as possible."
Expected return date: N/A
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