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It was the news that no Arsenal fans wanted to hear.
Gabriel Jesus: three months out.
At this stage, nothing has been confirmed. The striker is still in Doha with the Brazil squad and his knee will be assessed by the Gunners before a decision is made over surgery. However, it’s a very real possibility that Mikel Arteta is without his talisman for a prolonged period of time.
Jesus’ injury has the potential to scupper Arsenal’s hugely promising 2022/23 campaign, but there are a few options for Arteta in regard to dealing with the Brazilian’s absence to ensure his side remains on the right track after Christmas.
4 ways Arsenal can mitigate Gabriel Jesus’ potential prolonged absence
Here are four ways the Gunners can mitigate Jesus’ absence.
1. Trust Eddie Nketiah
Eddie Nketiah’s productive conclusion to the 2021/22 season convinced the Arsenal board to offer the striker a lucrative long-term contract and he’s since taken the most iconic shirt number associated with the club: Thierry Henry’s #14.
However, the arrival of Jesus always meant Nketiah’s minutes to shine on the big stage were going to be limited this term, and the striker’s failed to remove himself from the Brazilian’s shadow thus far.
He’s yet to score in the Premier League and after a bright start to the Europa League group stage, Nketiah’s form fell off a cliff. A tidy finish against Brighton in the EFL Cup would’ve given him some confidence heading into the break and Arteta desperately needs him to perform in Jesus’ absence.
Eddie certainly has the attributes to provide at least a semblance of what the Brazilian offered, and Jesus proved that you don’t need to be scoring regularly to have a major impact in this system.
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2. False nine
A shift to a false nine would halter Arsenal’s dynamics somewhat, but it’s a feasible possibility should Emile Smith Rowe quickly return to full fitness.
He’s such a dynamic runner, while he’s brilliant at picking gaps in the opposition’s defensive structure. By operating with a false nine, Arsenal’s in-behind threat will slightly decrease, although Arsenal’s runners – the two wingers and Granit Xhaka will be instructed to penetrate in behind the space voided centrally. It’ll only subtly change the way Arsenal play, and it’s an intriguing option.
ESR, who’s barely featured this season, could prove to be the Gunners’ x-factor while Jesus is sidelined.
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3. Play Gabriel Martinelli through the middle
Martinelli joined Arsenal as an unproven young forward back in 2018, but he’s forging his career out wide and Arteta will be reluctant to play him through the middle.
But, this is certainly a possibility if Nketiah struggles and Smith Rowe’s injury means it takes him a while to reintegrate in the new year.
Martinelli is developing into a ruthless finisher of both feet, while his incessant running means he’ll be able to match Jesus’ output without the ball. He’ll be able to rotate out wide where he can isolate defenders one-vs-one, and run off the last defender in more central areas.
However, there’s no denying that Martinelli’s threat and overall influence will diminish should he line up centrally. Defenders will find it easier to contain Arsenal’s Duracell bunny, and the Gunners will be less proficient down the flanks.
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4. Go big in January
Arsenal are well in title contention, but their hopes of hanging with Pep Guardiola’s juggernaut have been dealt a mighty blow given Jesus’ significance to their 2022/23 improvement.
No matter what Arsenal opt to do internally in regard to mitigating the Brazilian’s absence, there’s no doubt that they’ll be worse off. So, could Arteta convince the board to make a splash in January?
Now, I’m not suggesting that the club should be in the market for a big-name forward, I don’t think that’s necessary, but Jesus’ injury may hasten the board’s urgency to strengthen in other key areas. The Gunners were poised to be relatively busy in January anyway, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the club move efficiently to secure their key targets.
Palmeiras midfielder Danilo and Shakhtar Donetsk winger Mykhaylo Mudryk are two names to keep an eye out for.