Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed no risks will be taken with the fitness of striker Gabriel Jesus after he suffered a minor setback in training.
Jesus has been sidelined since January, when he revealed he was struggling with the same knee that required surgery in December 2022, and he was not pictured in training ahead of Saturday’s meeting with Newcastle United.
Ahead of the game, Arteta revealed that Jesus had actually suffered a minor setback in his recovery, and while he stressed fans have nothing to be worried about, he vowed to give the Brazilian enough time to recover fully.
“We couldn’t resolve that as quickly as we wanted and he had a small reaction in training again,” Arteta revealed.
“We didn’t want to take any more risks because he’s been out for quite a while and he’s a player that we need at his best and we decided to give him a few more days.”
There was some positive news for Arsenal fans as Arteta revealed defender Jurrien Timber is inching closer to a return to light training.
The Dutch international suffered an ACL injury in the opening weekend of the Premier League season and has not been seen since, but Arteta is confirmed Timber’s campaign is not yet over.
“I really hope [Timber will return this season],” Arteta said. “He’s doing really well.
“He’s been with some players on the pitch. He’s going to start to do some bits with us on the pitch in the next week or so. Then we’ll have to see how he’s doing, his confidence level, his fitness level. Hopefully the answer will be yes.”