After having knee surgery, Gabriel Jesus of Arsenal is expected to miss the start of the Premier League season. Here are four lineup options for Arsenal without the Brazilian.
After Arsenal’s victory over Monaco on penalties on Wednesday, Mikel Arteta said the 26-year-old underwent an operation on his knee and will be sidelined for “a few weeks.”
“Unfortunately, he had a small procedure this morning,” the Gunners manager stated. They had to go in because he was having some problems due to knee pain. He won’t be working for a few weeks, but it’s nothing serious.
It’s a tremendous loss because we thought he was back to his best, especially after the way he performed against Barcelona, and we lost him despite his good health.
“We have to consider it and make a choice, and the best course of action is to safeguard the player and return him as soon as possible. We chose to proceed.
Jesus’ most recent setback, according to Arteta, was caused by a previous knee injury he sustained at the Qatar World Cup last year.
Here are four possible lineups for Arsenal sans Jesus.
Eddie Nketiah as a No.9
Arteta put his trust in Eddie Nketiah after Jesus was compelled to miss the majority of the second half of the previous term.
The 24-year-old responded well, scoring nine goals during the entire season in all competitions, including a vital brace in a 3-2 victory over Manchester United in January.
In Jesus’ absence, the Englishman once again dazzled, scoring the Gunners’ lone goal in Wednesday night’s 1-1 draw with AS Monaco at Emirates Stadium.
Nketiah emphasized during the game that he is convinced he will continue to perform if given the responsibility of captaining the line when Arsenal open the season at home against Nottingham Forest the following Saturday.
“We want [Jesus] back as soon as possible,” Nketiah declared. He’s a key player for us, so we need him.
“I don’t believe that I am here to cover for anyone. I’m here to participate and help the squad out. I obviously have confidence in my skills and am aware of my ability to contribute. The manager must make a difficult choice, but he always knows he can count on me to deliver.
Folarin Balogun at No.9
Folarin Balogun is an additional choice for a central striker. The 22-year-old attracted interest from Inter Milan in the off-season after scoring 21 goals while on loan at Ligue 1 club Reims last year.
Arteta was confident that Jesus’ injury would not affect his transfer intentions, though. Balogun has no chance of setting the pace, consequently.
The ideas with Flo [Balogun] remain the same, but regrettably, we won’t have him with Gabby, Arteta stated. We can play with players of varied qualities if we like, and we will adjust.
Leandro Trossard false 9
Leandro Trossard impressed his boss while serving as a false nine at various times last year.
It is not out of the question that Arteta would put the Belgian in that situation and face some opposition.
“He was really good,” Arteta remarked of Trossard after the player scored in a 1-0 victory over Leicester City despite entering the game as a false 9. He got involved in numerous circumstances that presented numerous significant opportunities. He contributed to the amazing goal he scored that was overturned. With the pass he played to Gabi, he contributed to his goal.
He is excellent in cramped areas. I’m incredibly thrilled with him because he has the inventiveness that can make people open up.
Kai Havertz false 9
To the dismay of the majority of Blues supporters, Kai Havertz played as a false nine for Chelsea for the majority of the previous season.
In 47 games in all competitions, he scored nine goals, although he was also responsible for his team’s loss of several significant scoring chances.
The German has been signed by Arteta as a No. 8, but he can also play as a striker if necessary.
