Arsenal boss Arteta welcomes Jesus’ return with Nketiah still out
Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC/Getty
Mikel Arteta said on Wednesday that the return of Gabriel Jesus to Premier League leaders Arsenal is perfectly timed as Eddie Nketiah is several weeks away from recovering from his ankle injury.
Brazil striker Jesus made his first appearance since knee surgery he underwent at the World Cup when he came on as a substitute in Sunday’s 3-0 win at Fulham.
Nketiah represented Jesus impressively, scoring six goals in 12 games before being sidelined in the 4-0 win over Everton on March 1 with an ankle problem.
The Gunners have maintained a five-point lead at the top of the Premier League despite lacking a recognized striker in the absence of Jesus and Nketiah.
With the title race heading into the finals and Arsenal also hoping to win the Europa League – they host Sporting Lisbon in the round of 16 second leg on Thursday – Arteta is happy to have former Manchester City star Jesus back in the squad.
“It was great to see him again. You can feel everyone’s happiness,” Arteta told reporters.
“We missed him and now he’s back. We have to manage his minutes, his commitment to the squad and the team.
“He feels good and every day he trains he says his sensations are getting better and better, so that’s really positive.”
Nketiah is unlikely to be back in action until the final days of the season and Arteta revealed the young forward was lucky to avoid a more serious injury.
“He’s getting better,” Arteta said. “He’s still in the boot. He’s still a few weeks away and we have to be patient. It was a bad injury and he has a big challenge ahead of him.
“Thank God it could have been worse.
Strikers Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard starred in Arsenal’s sweeping win at Fulham, giving Arteta a selection headache as Jesus now takes on Sporting.
After a 2-2 draw in Lisbon last week, the tie is well balanced and while Arteta is aiming to win the English title, Arteta won’t waste the chance to lift a European trophy as well.
When asked if the Europa League was a distraction from the title race, Arteta replied: “No. We haven’t had a big European night in three years. Mainly because of Covid.
“Tomorrow (Thursday) is the first for a while. Hopefully we can build a great atmosphere and play with our fans against a really good side who will give us a big challenge.”