Gabriel Jesus may be about to take the next - and biggest - step in his rehabilitation process as he enters what could be his final week of recovery, barring any setbacks.
The 25-year-old has been out since December after undergoing successful surgery on medial ligament damage to his knee which was sustained during Brazil's group-stage match against Cameroon at the Qatar World Cup.
However, speaking to former UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov at the Emirates Stadium on January 22, Jesus said that he hoped to be back in "four or five weeks". This is now the fifth week since he made those comments, which could suggest that a return to first-team training is just around the corner.
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Talking ahead of Arsenal's clash with Man City last week, Mikel Arteta provided an encouraging update on Jesus but was unable to offer a timeframe on when the forward would be back.
"Doing really well. he's been doing quite a lot of work on the ball already and his rehab is going well," the Gunners boss said. "Unfortunately no (with regard to a return date). Ask the doctor maybe he’ll give you one," Arteta added.
Sadly, no one has been able to relay that question to the club doctor so far, but with Jesus' admission to Nurmagomedov last month as well as Arteta's latest quotes, it seems like it's only a matter of time before the Brazilian is back on the pitch.
For the most part, Arsenal have coped very well in the absence of one of their star men, although the lack of striking options is becoming apparent. Eddie Nketiah has now played for the entire 90 minutes eleven games in a row and is without a goal in four matches, making Jesus' return even more desirable.
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