PA Media/DPA
London
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta’s worst fears have been realized after it was confirmed Gabriel Jesus is set to be sidelined for the rest of the season with a knee injury.
Speaking on Tuesday to preview Arsenal’s crucial Premier League clash with north London rivals Tottenham at the Emirates, Arteta said he was "very worried” about Jesus following initial tests on the left knee which forced him off on a stretcher in his side’s FA Cup defeat to Manchester United on Sunday.
The Gunners have now revealed that Jesus - who has scored six times across his last seven appearances - has ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. The devastating injury is likely not only to keep Jesus out of the rest of the current campaign but possibly into next season, too.
The news is a hammer blow to Arsenal’s title ambitions and leaves them with only one recognized forward in Kai Havertz. Arteta is also set to be without star man Bukayo Saka until March at the earliest after he tore his hamstring last month.
A statement from Arsenal read: "Further to being substituted with an injury during our match with Manchester United on Sunday, Gabriel Jesus has received extensive assessments, scans and specialist reviews which have confirmed that he has sustained an injury to the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
"Gabby will undergo surgery in the coming days and will soon begin his recovery and rehabilitation programme.” Jesus’ crushing injury will place fresh impetus on Arsenal’s activity in this month’s transfer window and even greater focus on Havertz.
Arsenal are investigating abhorrent social media posts sent to the Germany international’s wife Sophia following his penalty shoot-out failure against United.
Havertz also missed good chances in regulation time to bury United - five days after he failed to convert a great opportunity in Arsenal’s 2-0 first-leg defeat to Newcastle in the Carabao Cup semi-final.
Commenting on the social media abuse aimed at Havertz and his family, Arteta continued: "It’s incredible, honestly. We really have to do something about it, because accepting that and hiding this has terrible consequences.
"It’s something we have to eradicate from the game because it’s so cynical and dependent to a result of an action. There is no other industry like this.
"We are all responsible. You guys (the media) are responsible, everybody is responsible for the narrative and how we talk. We cannot look somewhere else. That’s a really serious matter. It affects me.
It affects him and everybody that is in the industry.”
Arteta confirmed he is looking for players to fill his depleted side, with a number nine even more of a priority.
"We are actively looking in the market to improve the squad,” said Arteta ahead of Wednesday’s home clash against Spurs. "We have been since day one.
"It would be naive not to do that because there is always an opportunity to evolve the team and improve the squad. The fact I love our players a lot does not mean we cannot think about improving.
We’re not that stubborn.” Arteta did reveal some positive news on the injury front when he revealed Ethan Nwaneri, Saka’s 17-year-old understudy, could be back in action sooner than expected.
"Ethan is good and he has started to do some work on the pitch already,” said Arteta. "He is evolving well, he is young, he is healing very, very fast so hopefully we can have him soon.”