Martin Odegaard has revealed that Gabriel Jesus was “quite emotional” after making his comeback from injury on Wednesday night.
Gabriel Jesus made his on-field comeback for Arsenal against Club Brugge on Wednesday, playing his first competitive senior minutes in almost 11 months.
The Gunners striker had been out injured for much of last campaign and the first four months of this one following an ACL tear, so it’s been a long journey back for the Brazilian.
Martin Odegaard addressed the comeback in his pre-Wolves programme notes, admitting it was a big moment for the 28-year-old.
“What a night it was for Gabby Jesus,” Odegaard said. “He was quite emotional in the dressing room afterwards.
“Even when I came back from my injury, after about eight weeks or so, it was a special feeling when you can come back. But Gabby had been out for more than 300 days, so it’s such a long journey for him to get back.
“But what was great was how well he did when he came on. He made an impact straight away, he almost scored and it’s brilliant to have him back because he’s a great player and a great guy.
“He’s done so much for us and everyone knows he has unbelievable quality so he’s going to help us a lot.”
Jesus had played in friendly matches behind closed doors before Wednesday, so it wasn’t the very first time he’d been involved in a game since his injury.
But it’s a different story to step out onto the pitch in a match that means something, and to prove you can still have an impact in such a fixture.
It’s understandable that meant a lot to Jesus, as he showed he’s still an important member of the Arsenal squad. The Gunners have had to deal with not having him for the last 11 months, but he’s clearly not just here to build up his fitness for a transfer. He’s ready to play.