Gabriel Jesus, who is presently out following knee surgery, was present at Wembley on Sunday as Arsenal played Manchester City in the Community Shield.
The good news is that when asked by reporters about how his recuperation was progressing after the game, the center-forward responded, “All good.”
Mikel Arteta reportedly stated that the issue is not as serious as initially feared, however the player is certainly not back to full health just yet and was still somewhat limping, according to Dom Smith.
After a week filled with reports that were rather erratic, all of that looks to be good news.
Jesus’ absence from practise in the days leading up to last week’s Emirates Cup match sparked concerns, which were later verified when Arsenal announced that he would miss the match due to a knee injury.
Worse still, Arteta informed the media that Jesus had undergone an operation to treat inflammation from his prior knee injury, albeit he stressed that the procedure would only keep him out for a few weeks.
The Mirror later stated that Jesus might not be available for up to two months.
One hopes that Arteta’s most recent claim—that the issue isn’t as serious as thought—means this won’t be the case.
In the meantime, Arsenal are likely to use Eddie Nketiah, Leandro Trossard, or Kai Havertz up front, with Folarin Balogun also out injured and heavily linked with a transfer.
Havertz performed well against Manchester City on Sunday, but it’s possible that he switches back to midfield for matches against opponents who aren’t as well-known when Arsenal expects to control the ball.
The sooner Jesus makes his appearance so Arteta has access to all of his options, the better for the group.