Gabriel Jesus, a Brazilian forward for Arsenal, suffered a hamstring injury on Tuesday during their 2-1 victory over Sevilla in the Champions League, and the team’s coach, Mikel Arteta, stated that he was “worried” about Jesus’s condition after the game.
After suffering a setback at Lens, the international player from Brazil helped the Gunners get their European campaign back on track by scoring a spectacular goal and setting up another for another countryman, Gabriel Martinelli.
Arteta heaped praise on the forward, but he revealed that he was worried about the injury that prompted him to leave the game late in the fourth quarter.
“He hurt something in his hamstring and he had to come off, I’m worried about that,” Arteta told reporters in Seville. “He had to come off because of it.”
Jesus suffered a knee injury at the beginning of the season and didn’t make his first start until late in the month of September. He is still searching for his best form.
In his seven appearances in the Premier League, the striker only has one goal to show for it. However, in the Champions League, he has three goals in three matches.
A deft move by Jesus was a key factor in Sevilla’s defence being breached, as he set up Martinelli for the game’s first goal with a pass that found its way behind the Sevilla defence.
Then Jesus added the second himself with a stunning strike into the top corner, and it proved decisive as Nemanja Gudelj headed home from a corner.
“I’m really happy, (it was a) big game for big players, he needs to produce those moments,” according to Arteta.
“He was sent to this place for a purpose; he altered our world; he contributed an incredible amount of faith and vitality to the group. The success of the squad is dependent on those players; thus, we require more players like them.
If Jesus’ injury turns out to be more serious than initially thought, Arsenal may need to turn to Eddie Nketiah, Kai Havertz, or Leandro Trossard to fill the void left by Jesus. Arsenal are now third in the Premier League, two points behind Tottenham, who are in first place.
On Saturday, the Gunners will play host to Sheffield United before travelling to take on Newcastle in the premier league. After that, they will play host to Sevilla in the Champions League.
Arteta acknowledged the significance of the team’s victory at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium in Sevilla, which propelled the Gunners to the top spot in Group B after Lens and PSV Eindhoven played to a 1-1 draw.
“We took a big step towards qualification, it’s another step, this team has to keep growing,” commented the head coach.
“Defeat against Lens put us in a difficult position and we had to react.”