It was not the most memorable World Cup campaign for Gabriel Jesus, with the Arsenal striker playing just 92 minutes in Qatar before he picked up a knee injury in Brazil’s final group match against Cameroon.
The injury has forced him out of action for around four months, leaving Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta with a selection headache.
🗞 Gabriel Jesus has successfully undergone surgery to his right knee 👇
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) December 6, 2022
Eddie Nketiah is now the Gunners’ only fit recognised striker, but many believe he won’t be able to fill the void left by the fiery Brazilian, who has five goals and five assists in the league this season.
Ex-Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit is one of those people, citing age as the reason Nketiah will struggle.
“Nketiah is a good player but he is still young. He is gaining experience all the time, but you can’t replace Jesus with him and expect the same results.
“It is too soon for him. If you put him in and expect that, that is not fair on the player, but his time will come.
Petit also believes that the club need to dip into the January market if they are to keep up with the likes of Manchester City in an attempt to win the Premier League.
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“The first eleven is of exceptional quality but the depth on the bench isn’t as good as it needs to be.
“If you want to compete with Manchester City, Liverpool, you need more and you need to be clever in the transfer market, especially when you’re without a player like Jesus.”
Arsenal restart their Premier League campaign on Boxing Day when they host West Ham.