Gabriel Jesus has returned to Arsenal's London Colney training ground to ramp up his rehabilitation from knee surgery.
The Brazilian striker, 25, remains on track to rejoin the Gunners' attack in March after an injury sustained at the World Cup in December ruled him out for three months. Jesus went under the knife to address the issue and spent time recovering overseas before working with Arsenal medics in England in January.
He was in attendance at Emirates Stadium for the last-gasp 3-2 victory over Manchester United and told UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov he was on course to return to action in March. In welcome news for Mikel Arteta and Co., Jesus reported back to the club's headquarters on Tuesday.
That is according to GOAL, which notes he no longer needs the assistance of a knee brace or crutches to move around. In fact, Jesus was able to do some light ball work on a training pitch in what was a major milestone in his recovery.
However, the priority is to rebuild the strength in his knee and there remains no specific target date for his return to competitive fixtures. Jesus is undertaking a tailor-made recovery plan with the help of Arsenal's physios and it remains to be seen when in March he will be passed fit.
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The former Manchester City forward, who joined Arsenal in a £45million transfer last summer, scored five goals and grabbed six assists in 20 appearances in all competitions prior to the World Cup break. GOAL adds he has always been hopeful of playing a major role during the run-in as the Gunners pursue their first Premier League title in 19 years.
In Jesus' absence, Eddie Nketiah has stepped up for Arteta's side in emphatic fashion. As well as his double against the Red Devils, which Jesus watched from the stands, the Englishman, 23, scored against West Ham and Brighton after the restart and has led the line successfully.
That being said, Arsenal have shown signs of tiring in their last two fixtures, falling to a shock 1-0 defeat at Everton last Saturday and losing to City in the FA Cup via the same scoreline. Jesus' return in March will give the Gunners fresh impetus in the title race, although the table may look different by the time he is passed fit
After Arsenal's defeat by Everton, City failed to close the five-point gap at the top as they fell to a 1-0 loss at Tottenham on Sunday. The Gunners have a game in hand on the defending champions, whom they face in the first of their two league clashes this season next Wednesday.
