Arsenal have confirmed that Gabriel Jesus suffered a cruciate ligament injury in Sunday's FA Cup defeat to Manchester United and will undergo surgery in the coming days.
A statement from Arsenal said: “After being substituted in our match against Manchester United on Sunday, Gabriel Jesus has received extensive assessments, scans and specialist assessments which have confirmed that he has suffered an injury to the anterior cruciate ligament of his left knee.
“Gabby will undergo surgery in the coming days and will soon begin his recovery and rehabilitation program.
“We will continue to keep everyone updated on Gabby's recovery, with everyone at the club fully focused on supporting Gabby to ensure he returns to full fitness as soon as possible.”
The injury means Jesus will spend a lengthy period on the sidelines, with the typical recovery time for an ACL rupture of around nine months, and leaves Arsenal with just one recognized striker in Kai Havertz.
Sky Sports News understands that Arsenal are working hard behind the scenes to sign a striker in the January transfer window. They had been exploring both long-term goals and short-term options even before Jesus' injury.
The Brazil international has scored six goals in his last seven games for Arsenal, who sold striker Eddie Nketiah to Crystal Palace this summer.
“We are actively looking in the market to improve the selection,” Arteta said earlier this week. “We would be naive if we didn't do that. There is an opportunity to improve the team.
“We look and try. Let's see what we can do. When you recruit a player, there are three parties. We also have our limitations, we can do what we can.”
When asked for an answer on whether or not a striker was the priority, he added: “In any position.
“We have other problems too. A player can bring things to a team in different ways. That's what we're trying to do.”
Jesus, 27, has had his Arsenal career plagued by injury since joining from Manchester City in 2022 and is now set for an extended spell, with fellow strikers Bukayo Saka and Ethan Nwaneri also currently on the sidelines.
Jesus started the cup match against United, but was forced off after just 41 minutes.
Arsenal continue their Premier League campaign at home to Tottenham on Wednesday, with kick-off at 8pm and free highlights available on Sky Sports' digital platforms after full-time.
How much will Arsenal miss Jesus?
Sky Sports' Richard Morgan:
Since leaving Man City for Arsenal in July 2022, Jesus has never been able to sustain a steady run for Arteta's side due to a combination of injuries – including picking up a knee problem at the 2022 World Cup – and a lack of goals.
Since his Arsenal debut, the Brazil international has played 96 of the club's 132 games in all competitions, a figure of 75 percent.
Jesus never played more than 27 Premier League games in a single season. Despite an impressive recent run of six goals in his last seven appearances for Arsenal, the striker scored the highest number of goals in the Premier League during his debut season in North London, when he scored 11 times – which is also his best total for a season .
Jesus' latest injury leaves Arteta's side without a recognized striker for the Premier League title, having both sent Eddie Nketiah to Crystal Palace last summer and winger Reiss Nelson on loan to Fulham.
A closer look at Arsenal's summer activities
Sky Sports' Nick Wright:
Arsenal's key recruits in the off-season were Mikel Merino and Riccardo Calafiori, with Raheem Sterling arriving later on loan. All three have struggled to make a positive impact, with Merino and Calafiori making just twelve starts each and Sterling just five.
Injuries didn't help. All three have run into trouble, with Calafiori suffering another setback that saw him ruled out on Sunday. But there are question marks hanging over them, regardless of injuries. Were they really what Arsenal needed to get to the next level?
For example, Merino has brought aerial power and the ability to win games to Arsenal's midfield when it was arguably more in need of creativity and goal threat, especially after Emile Smith Rowe was sold to Fulham and Fabio Vieira was able to join Porto on loan.
The club hoped Sterling could bring those qualities to the attack when they seized the opportunity to sign him on loan. But it is damning that Arteta has rarely turned to him, even when fit. Halfway through his spell he played just 146 Premier League minutes.
He will probably be needed now, with Jesus on the wounded list. But like Merino and Calafiori, he has work to do to show he can give Arsenal and Arteta what they need.
Arteta spoke of his 'love' for his players after Sunday's defeat, but it is becoming increasingly clear that the only solutions to their attacking problems lie in the transfer market. The problem is that the January window is much harder to navigate than the summer window.
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