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Gabriel Jesus’ Champions League omission raises eyebrows

Suburban Gooners Logo Suburban Gooners Logo I was thinking about talking about Gabriel Martinelli today, but before I get to that, there was the small matter of the Champions League squads announced yesterday ahead of the group stages and, unlike in previous years, the news was awash with players who had not made the respective squads for their teams. Spare a thought for Buonannote, who signed on loan for Chelsea, said he was excited to be playing the Champions League, only to find that he’s not been named in their squad. Or how about that lad Tel for the Scum, who was signed in the summer for a fairly decent price tag, yet finds himself not in the final group who will be plying their stages. He was a guy who last January said ‘no’ to the Tiny Totts, then changed his mind as he thought “any game time is better than no game time” and after that lot proclaiming him as the second coming of The Messiah, he’s barely featured so far and now isn’t in their Champions League squad.

For us there was also an omission that is still surprising a fair few and that is Gabriel Jesus. And I have to say I find it odd. By all accounts it sounds like we have a spare slot in the squad, he is on the way back to fitness and in training, yet he can’t even be listed? The competition goes in to December I believe and by then he should be back, so why has there been such a public statement to omit him?

The only thing I can think of is that he’s going to get a move back to Brazil, but their transfer window closed when ours did, so he won’t be able to make a move until January anyway. Perhaps the club are thinking about saving a spot for a player in January ‘just in case’, but if that was the case, why name Max Dowman in it? Because of his age they don’t have to actually register him in the ‘A’ group, but instead just name him as part of the ‘B’ group of youth players just before each game (that’s what I read anyway). I can only assume that Dowman’s introduction into that group is an acknowledgement of his status in the squad, but it feels very odd to me that he’s been named and Gabby Jesus hasn’t.

There’s also the fact that – despite his injuries and barren spells in the Premier League over the years – he’s got an excellent record in European competitions, particularly in the Champions League, so if it was me I would be naming him because he could be a very viable option in our squad this season. He’s on a significant wage and he hasn’t caused any disruptions in the dressing room from what we know of; by all accounts he sounds like he’s a good pro and Mikel Arteta always speaks so fondly of him whenever he’s asked about him in press conferences. So what’s the deal?

Perhaps the club are going to Tomiyasu him and let him go on a free by cancelling his contract? I can’t see that happening because despite his injuries, unlike Tomiyasu who basically hasn’t played football for coming up to two years, Gabriel Jesus has played more football and by all accounts he looks like he’s getting close. He’s been posting pictures of himself in the gym, training, running, looking happy, so it seems like we have a footballer here who could be part of Mikel Arteta’s squad. And if he is, why not have him as part of the group and as an option? He’s still a very good footballer and although we’ve clearly moved on, much like Kieran Tierney, if he’s there and we are suffering a bit of a mini injury crisis, why not use him?

Let’s face it, our luck with injuries last season and this so far means that we really can’t be too precious about players who are under contract with us, have had valuable contributions in the past, plus they’ve got that experience of winning too. Let’s be real here; can you foresee an instance in which we have four or five players out in the attacking positions and we need Gabby J? I definitely can!

I saw one hypothesis that it was Berta trying to make a clear statement that he has no future at the club, but I don’t think he has that much power over things like squad selection for the Champions League group stages. That will squarely sit at Arteta and his coaching staffs’ remit, so I don’t think this move is a Berta-flavoured one, but an Arteta one. Which makes it all the weirder if you ask me.

The final explanation that might be the most obvious one, however, is that Arsenal don’t see his rehab timeline as something that makes him a viable option for the group stages. He picked up his injury in January against Man United in the FA Cup. We’re now in September, nine months later, where the competition is about to kick off. He’s been spotted doing gym work. Perhaps he now needs to be declared fully fit and having a belated pre season that lasts six weeks. But that still takes him to mid October, so for me he would 100% be useable.

This is one that I’d love to get the inside track on and I hope an explanation comes out, rather than it just being ignored by club or Arteta. I guess the only probably we have is that we won’t find anything out now because we’ve got this poxy international break. But I wonder if Arteta will be asked it at his pre Forest press conference. I certainly hope so.

Said I’d talk about Martinelli, ended up spending it talking about Gabby J. Will do some thoughts on our struggling winger tomorrow. Catch you then.

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Gooner born in 1982 from Harlow, Essex, now living in Uxbridge. I say what I see - frequently wrong, but hey, it's just an opinion piece, right? Leave a comment and let me know what you think.