Gabriel Jesus expects to return to the pitch for Gunners as Arsenal by the start of March, telling former UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov that he is “four or five weeks” away from a full recovery.
The striker, 25, suffered a knee injury while representing Brazil at the World Cup in Qatar and required surgery in early.
Gabriel Jesus has been forced to watch on from the sidelines as Arsenal have continued their dominant Premier League form, most recently defeating Manchester United 3-2 on Sunday evening.
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Arsenal have always been unwilling to put a duration to his return, but recent social media posts from the forward which have shown him throwing away his crutches and knee brace, have raised excitement levels among fans that he could be back relatively quickly.
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Arteta has tempered those expectations, however, suggesting that the 25-year-old still has some way to go in his recovery.
The former Manchester City forward was in a box at Emirates Stadium as Eddie Nketiah scored a 90th-minute winner to maintain the Gunners’ five-point lead at the top of the table.
Nurmagomedov, one of the greatest-ever mixed martial artists, was in the adjacent box and the pair said hello to one another at half-time, when the score was 1-1.
Footage shared on social media captured the meeting and Gabriel Jesus can be seen telling the former undefeated UFC lightweight champion: “Maybe four or five weeks more I come back.”Gabriel Jesus said to Khabib Nurmagomedov.
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The Brazil international was expected to be out until March with his knee injury, so his latest update fits the timescale given to him by Arsenal medics.
His knee issue was seen as such a blow to Mikel Arteta’s side that it could have derailed their bid for a first Premier League title in 19.
Gabriel Jesus racked up five top-flight goals and five assists in the first half of the season, while his ability to link the play was viewed as just as important as his cutting edge.
However, Arsenal have coped brilliantly in his absence thanks to the form of Nketiah, his replacement up front. The Englishman, 23, has hit four goals in his last five Premier League games, including an all-important double to overcome the Red Devils at the weekend.