Arsenal handed huge injury boost as 27-year-old star is expected to feature in the North London derby against Tottenham: Reports
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has provided a positive update regarding striker Gabriel Jesus ahead of his team's crucial clash against Tottenham Hotspur on September 15.
The Spaniard revealed that the 27-year-old has returned to full training and is being considered to be a part of the squad to make the short trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday. This is as per Fabrizio Romano, who shared the news via his X (formerly Twitter) account earlier today (September 13).
Signed from Manchester City in the summer of 2022 for a fee in the region of £45 million, Gabriel Jesus has seen his playing time at Arsenal cut short due to multiple injury layoffs. Since December that year, Jesus has faced six separate injury layoffs that have kept him out of action for over 30 games for club & country.
Jesus scored 11 goals and provided seven assists in 33 games across competitions in the 2022-23 season, followed by eight goals and eight assists in 36 games last time around. He is yet to make a significant contribution this season, having come off the bench for a short five-minute cameo in Arsenal's win against Wolverhampton Wanderers in their opening game of the Premier League season.
Given his ability to play as a striker as well as a winger when needed, Mikel Arteta will hope Gabriel Jesus remains fit for the majority of this season. Arsenal currently sit fourth in the table with seven points from three games and will hope Jesus' inclusion in the squad to face Spurs will bear fruit.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta pens three-year contract extension
Earlier this week, Arsenal fans were elated as manager Mikel Arteta committed his future to the club by signing a three-year contract extension. With his previous contract due to expire at the end of the ongoing season, both the club and the Spaniard moved decisively to confirm the new deal.
The news was first broken by journalist David Ornstein on September 12, with Arsenal's official X handle confirming it later the same day. Arteta was pictured putting pen to paper seated beside Sporting Director Edu Gaspar.
Mikel Arteta was appointed manager in December 2019 when the club were in a tough spot. He guided them to an eighth-place finish in that season and also won the FA Cup. Another eighth-placed finish followed by a fifth-placed finish confirmed the progress the club made under the Spaniard.
His efforts became clearly visible in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons as the Gunners finished runners-up to Pep Guardiola's Manchester City on both occasions. With 234 matches in charge and a record of 142 wins, 35 draws and 57 defeats, things are looking up for Arteta as he gears up for another title charge.
The Spaniard will lead his team against Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham on Sunday and will look to preserve his unbeaten streak against the Spurs boss.