GABRIEL JESUS is confident he can play a major role for Arsenal in their season run-in – despite his injury woes.
The Brazilian has missed 16 games in all competitions so far this campaign due to persistent knee problems and a hamstring issue.
His last Premier League start was on January 30, and since then he has played just 53 minutes of football, leaving Gunners boss Mikel Arteta short of a specialist No.9.
However, having not been called up by the Brazil national team this month in order to fully recover, there is optimism around Jesus’ fitness and availability for the coming weeks.
SunSport understands the 26-year-old striker is feeling much better and is preparing his body to feature heavily in both the Prem and Champions League.
He is likely to be in the squad to face former side Manchester City at the Etihad on Sunday in a mammoth title bout – a big boost to Arteta, who also has an eye on Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel with the trio nursing minor knocks.
Jesus has looked sharp in training sessions, with coaches said to be encouraged by his attitude, physicality and finishing.
Arteta still has faith in Jesus to deliver when called upon, regardless of his statistics so far this season of just eight goals in all competitions – four of those in the Prem.
But with Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard stepping up in recent weeks, with eight goals between them since the turn of the year, Jesus needs to earn back his starting XI spot.
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Yet Arteta will take the positives, knowing he has the squad to rotate with a Champions League quarter final against Bayern Munich and trips to Man City, Manchester United and Tottenham still to navigate.
Jesus missed the start to the season with a minor operation to clean out an existing knee issue that crocked him at the end of the 22/23 campaign.
During a Champions League group stage trip to Sevilla last October, he then suffered a hamstring strain that left him on the sidelines for almost a month.
Two setbacks with his knee in 2024 have done nothing to give Jesus some much-needed minutes, but he has been slowly building his way back to full fitness.
Having come off the bench in Prem victories over Sheffield United and Brentford, he was brought on in extra-time to help his side see off Porto in the Champions League last 16 earlier this month.
Jesus will also be motivated to convince Arteta his injury days are behind him with Arsenal looking to sign another central striker in the summer.
Brentford’s Ivan Toney and Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres have been heavily linked with a switch to the Emirates, leaving Jesus’ future up in the air.
Since signing from City for £45m in the summer of 2022, Jesus has 19 goals in 59 Arsenal appearances.
