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Arsenal are days away from returning to action | Arsenal FC via Getty Images
One of Arsenal’s senior players has taken a step towards his recovery.
One of Arsenal’s senior stars has reached a milestone that will serve as an important mental boost as he returns from a long-term injury. Injuries ravaged the Gunners last season, with absences playing a central role in Mikel Arteta’s men falling a long way short in their Premier League title bid, although there were certainty questions to be answered when it comes to squad planning and the lack of quality in depth despite big spending over recent summers.
One player who missed almost the entirety of the second half of the season is striker Gabriel Jesus, who ruptured one his ACLs in January. Jesus had previously suffered the same injury to the other knee, and people who have such issues are statistically more likely to suffer the same issue to the other knee later down the line.
That proved to be the case for Jesus, who was ruled out for the resto of the season on January 14. An Arsenal statement at the time read: “Further to being substituted during our match with Manchester United on Sunday, Gabriel Jesus has received extensive assessments, scans and specialist reviews which have confirmed that he has sustained an injury to the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
“Gabby will undergo surgery in the coming days and will soon begin his recovery and rehabilitation programme. We will continue to keep everyone updated with Gabby’s recovery, with everyone at the club fully focused on supporting Gabby to ensure he is back to full fitness as soon as possible.”
Arteta was later asked whether he would have done anything different in his management of the Brazilian. He replied: “It's very difficult now to understand that, if I could pause the game and say, Gabriel Jesus, we brought you back to life. You know, you are doing incredibly well. You're going to now get injured, so stop. I would stop him, bring another player in and continue to play the game. Unfortunately, we cannot do this in football."
Jesus is going to be out until at least late Autumn as he begins the strengthening phase of his recovery, but in a huge mental boost for the striker, he is back on the grass and doing some light exercises on the green. Jesus posted a picture of his feet with football boots on, and reports elsewhere have confirmed that he has been working individually on the grass.
Naturally, the Brazilian still has plenty of time to go in his recovery, with at least two months still sitting between him and his return, but returning to the grass is a huge mental milestone for a player who has been out since January. Arsenal will now likely be very careful with Jesus in his recovery, with plenty of strengthening to do on his knee and the surrounding muscles before he starts working in a footballing capacity.
There will be questions over whether Jesus has a future at the Emirates Stadium after the arrival of Viktor Gyokeres this summer, but for now he and the club will be focused on his return from injury.
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