Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Arsenal intend to give Gabriel Jesus minutes behind closed doors before they throw him back into competitive action with the team.
Over the international break, reports suggested that Arsenal planned to hold friendly fixtures for Gabriel Jesus to build up his fitness before reintegrating him with the first-team squad for the competitive games.
Speaking in his press conference on Friday, Mikel Arteta confirmed that’s the plan, as well as giving a more general update on how the striker is doing.
“Very good, so he’s doing everything with the team at the moment for the last almost two weeks,” Arteta explained.
“We’re going to give him some exposure as well internally with some games so he gets that fitness. But he looks really good in training and he’s going to be a big addition to the team.”
After 10 months out of action with an ACL injury, it makes sense that Arsenal want to ease the player back, hence the desire to get him involved in friendly matches before he takes on any competitive football. But that does mean there’s little chance of him playing for the team imminently.
Usually, one option to get returning first-team players games is to start them in an u21 fixture, but the academy are currently on a winter break. There are no matches until January 9th, so Arsenal will have to be more creative with Jesus.
The hope will be that when Jesus eventually does return to the pitch for Arteta’s team, he’ll bring the same kind of form he was in pre-injury. The striker had six goals in six games before the match that ruled him out.
In other Jesus news, the Brazilian international has confirmed that he’s not in contact with other clubs and he doesn’t intend to leave Arsenal in January.
“There was never contact with another club,” Jesus said. “My wish, as I always say, is to return to Palmeiras. And Palmeiras also want me to come back.
“When I feel it’s the right time to go back to Palmeiras, I’ll decide that with Arsenal.
“But we’re talking about a player who has been out for nine months and is now fighting to return to the team. Some journalists speak without any basis.
“After such a complex surgery, it makes no sense for me to leave the club now.”