07 January 2024 , 14:00
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Arsenal have been hit with a major blow before their FA Cup showdown with Liverpool with Gabriel Jesus set to miss out.
The Brazilian striker has seen his campaign punctured by a host of problems. He has picked up a fresh issue and could potentially miss Sunday’s game at the Emirates Stadium.
According to a number of reports, he has suffered a new knee issue and is a major doubt for the clash with Liverpool. Despite that, there is not major cause for concern for Mikel Arteta, with the issue only expected to rule him out for the short term.
Jesus, 26, has already seen his 2023/24 campaign disrupted with injury. He suffered with a knee issue at the start of the campaign, while a hamstring injury also kept him out for a clutch of games.
In all, the forward has missed eight games in all competitions so far this season. Jesus also missed large swaths of last term with yet another knee issue.
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His fresh problem was not mentioned by Mikel Arteta during his pre-match press conference. Asked for an update on the injured Oleksandr Zinchenko, the Arsenal boss replied: “He is progressing well.
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“We have another training session tomorrow and we will evaluate whether he is available or not to play and start the game. As for the rest, there is no actual news.”
Speaking about long-term absentee Jurrien Timber, Arteta added: “Unfortunately, that’s a very long-term injury. He is doing really well but he is still far from being fit to train with the team, or something to compete with the team so we don’t expect him back anytime soon. It’s what we have; the situation that we have now as well with Tomi having to leave and we have to cope with that.”
Following their FA Cup clash with Liverpool, Arsenal have some a break which could allow some of their injured players to return. Their next Premier League game sees them take on Crystal Palace at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, January 20.
They would then be in FA Cup action once more the following week should they find a way past Liverpool. The draw for the fourth round of the competition takes place on Monday evening.
Arsenal’s final game of the month sees them travel to the City Ground for a clash with Nottingham Forest. Should the Gunners win both games and results go for them, then they could potentially reclaim top spot in the league.