Gabriel Jesus drops early Arsenal team news hint ahead of Europa League clash vs Sporting CP

Gabriel Jesus posted an early team news note ahead of the crucial Europa League round of 16 second leg match against Sporting CP tonight. The Brazilian returned from a knee injury that had sidelined him since the World Cup and came on as a substitute in the 3-0 win over Fulham at the weekend.

Mikel Arteta was reluctant to set a time frame for Jesus’ return to give him the time he needed to fully recover and be a part of the Gunners’ crucial season-ending. Arsenal have maintained their five-point lead at the top of the Premier League table despite the Brazilian missing from the squad for a few months.

Jesus is now ready to fight for a place in the team again as he aims to help the north Londoners advance to the Europa League quarter-finals. The Gunners drew 2-2 with Sporting in the first leg and hope to secure a place in the last eight with a win against the Portuguese tonight at the Emirates Stadium.

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Ahead of the crucial meeting against Sporting, Jesus has hinted in a post on Instagram that he could start the game. The Brazilian posted a matchday graphic on his Instagram Story ahead of kick-off, in which he tries to improve his match sharpness and reclaim his place in attack.

Arteta could field a strong starting XI tonight to give the Gunners the best chance of securing their spot in tomorrow’s quarter-final draw. Arsenal meet Crystal Palace in the Premier League this weekend, where a number of players may be rotated to maintain fitness levels, giving Jesus a good chance to start the game after his performance against Fulham today.

Ahead of the Sporting game, Arteta said: “We want to win. We want to do the same as we did in Lisbon, but we have to do better than last week in Lisbon to win.” morning.”

When asked about Jesus’ return, the Arsenal manager replied: “It was great to see him again, you can feel the joy of everyone, the players and the staff around him. We missed him and now he’s back.”