Gabriel Jesus Injury Update Ahead of Fulham Clash

Gabriel Jesus’ injury has hampered his progress at Arsenal, but the club are nevertheless performing well on the pitch.

Gabriel Jesus, the Brazilian forward for Arsenal, is still sidelined, recovering from a serious knee injury sustained earlier in the year.

His absence continues to cast a shadow over Arsenal’s attacking options and has triggered speculation about his future at the club.

Jesus’ Injury: ACL Rupture and Surgical Layoff

Jesus picked up an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury during an FA Cup tie against Manchester United in January 2025. The severity of the injury sidelined him for the remainder of the 2024–25 season. He underwent surgery and embarked on a long rehabilitation process.

His ACL injury has kept him off the pitch for many months; by October 2025, he had not made a single competitive appearance in the new season.

Because ACL injuries require extended recovery timelines, Jesus’s return has been delayed gradually, with medical and sporting caution guiding each step. His absence has not been a straightforward “six to nine months” recovery, but rather a continuing phased comeback.

Squad Impacts and Competitive Pressures

His prolonged unavailability has had significant consequences for Arsenal’s attacking depth. The club signed Viktor Gyökeres and also has Kai Havertz to challenge for forward roles. With Jesus unavailable, those signings have gained added importance in filling the void.

Moreover, in September 2025, Arsenal omitted him from their Champions League squad, underscoring that they currently lack confidence in his ability to contribute at that stage. His injury record in recent seasons has raised questions about his consistency and reliability.

Speculation in Brazilian media and from Palmeiras’ leadership has grown in recent weeks, with the Palmeiras club president publicly stating her desire for Jesus to “come home” and rejoin his former club. There are suggestions that Jesus has verbally agreed to a return, though no formal transfer deals appear to be underway yet.

In the background, Arsenal is facing the practical dilemma of balancing patience for Jesus’s recovery with competitive needs. Some reports suggest the club may accept offers in the January 2026 window, particularly if realistic bids arrive. The £30 million valuation has been floated by media outlets as a plausible price tag, given his injury history.

Gabriel Jesus Injury Update

Jesus remains in his rehabilitation phase as of October 2025. His recovery is being managed carefully to avoid re-injury. Because ACL injuries pose recurrent risks, clubs often prefer to bring players back slower rather than rush them prematurely.

No confirmed return date has been publicly announced. The possibility is that he might not see full competitive action until early or mid-2026, depending on how well his knee heals under load. Even when he does return, he may have to build match fitness gradually, starting with limited minutes or lower-intensity competitions.

Another risk is that, by the time he is fully fit, the squad dynamic may have shifted. With Gyökeres and Havertz in place, and possibly new acquisitions, re-establishing a starting role may be harder than before the injury.

The Uncertain Future at Arsenal

While under contract with Arsenal until 2027, Jesus’s long absence and renewed speculation of a move back to Brazil make his future increasingly uncertain. If Palmeiras makes a formal offer, Arsenal may be compelled to weigh whether to retain an underutilised and injury-prone forward or monetize his value now.

From a sporting standpoint, Jesus’s return would be a welcome boost—but he must overcome both the physical challenge of a serious knee injury and the competitive challenge of reintegrating into a potentially restructured attack.