Arsenal defender Oleksandr Zinchenko conceded Gabriel Jesus will be a "big miss" during the second half of the Premier League season after undergoing knee surgery.
The Ukrainian international failed to offer any kind of optimism in spite of the injury, simply acknowledging that Jesus' absence will be a major obstacle for the Gunners to overcome this term. The 25-year-old striker is thought to have sustained the knee injury while away on World Cup duty with Brazil, but some have claimed he carried the knock into the tournament.
Zinchenko has told Sky Sports that all the Arsenal players can do is lift the Brazilian's spirits and help the mental side of his recovery process, claiming: ‘I said already that we are all behind him, we are all supporting him.
"Of course it’s a big miss for our team, and the impact what he’s doing for the club is amazing. I know him for a while – he’s a big warrior and I’m 100% sure that he’ll be back much, much stronger."
Jesus had seen the goals dry up in recent weeks, but his impact on the Arsenal frontline was evident for all to see with the former Manchester City man pivotal to the way Mikel Arteta's side play.
Zinchenko himself has also struggled with fitness this season, missing large portions of his debut campaign in a Gunners shirt due to persistent injuries but the left-back has assured fans he's nearly ready and raring to go.
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"You know, I have a little muscle tightness, but I’m nearly there, so don’t worry about this, obviously I’m also working hard to get my fitness back and to be with the team as quickly as I can.
"It’s the worst feeling to be fair… for every footballer to be out of the team. And yeah, in the last couple of months, I was struggling a lot but I hope everything is in the past already. And now, I’m fully focused and so excited for the rest of the season."
Zinchenko is out in Dubai with his Arsenal team-mates for a series of mid-season friendlies to try and get the Gunners back up to speed before the Premier League resumes.
Arsenal's first game back following the World Cup comes in the form of a home clash against London rivals West Ham and while Zinchenko is expected to be fit for it, Jesus could be unavailable until March at the latest.
The Gunners currently sit top of the table after 14 games played as well as boasting a five-point advantage over their nearest challengers City in second.
Whether Arsenal can maintain such momentum without arguably their most important player in Jesus remains to be seen.
