Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has revealed how he plans to get the Gunners over the line without key player Gabriel Jesus, who is recovering from knee surgery.
It appears that Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will have to get creative in order to solve the problem caused by Gabriel Jesus’ knee surgery.
The Brazilian international is expected to be out for three months after suffering the injury while on World Cup duty with the Selecao in Qatar. Jesus, who was purchased from Manchester City for £45 million in the summer, has had a significant impact on Arsenal’s forward line.
Despite scoring just five goals in 14 games and not scoring since early October, Jesus has transformed the Gunners into genuine title contenders under Arteta. Arsenal currently leads the table by five points, five points ahead of the nearest challengers and Jesus’ former club City.
The general consensus is that Arsenal will struggle to start the second half of the season as strongly as they finished the first, especially with Jesus still recovering from surgery.
Arteta will be unavailable for key matches against Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, and Manchester United.
In turn, the Spaniard must consider how to fill the Jesus-shaped void in his forward line. The most obvious solution would be to use Eddie Nketiah in the same position, though the Gunners academy graduate will be under pressure after signing a lucrative new contract last summer.
The Gunners manager also seemed to imply that wide-man Gabriel Martinelli might be forced to fill in for his injured countryman, with Emile Smith Rowe emerging as a surprise alternative option to Arsenal’s forward problem.
“Obviously, it’s a huge blow for us,” Arteta admitted of Jesus’ injury. “He’s such an important player: he’s brought something very different to the team and it’s impossible to replace him.
“But we have other players, other alternatives and we’ll try to get that sorted. Another option is the transfer window.” I believe [Jesus] is a one-of-a-kind player, but Eddie [Nketiah] has exceptional qualities for the way we want to play.
“We have other options, including playing Martinelli up front. We’re currently a little short on upfront positions, but getting Emile [Smith Rowe] back will be huge.”
Arsenal’s next test will be a Premier League match against West Ham at home on Boxing Day, as they look to keep their lead over City as long as possible.