Arsenal Lose Forward Gabriel Jesus to ACL Injury

Brazilian forward Gabriel Jesus, who plays for second-placed Arsenal in the Premier League, will need surgery after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, as manager Mikel Arteta seeks a replacement in the transfer market.

Jesus (27) was injured during the first half of Arsenal’s FA Cup third-round match against Manchester United on Sunday, which ended in a penalty shootout loss.

The forward sought specialists this week to assess the injury, which has been confirmed as an ACL tear in his left knee.

Jesus is likely to miss the rest of the season, a significant blow to Arsenal’s hopes of winning their first league title since 2004.

Arsenal released a statement saying: “Gabriel will undergo surgery in the coming days and will soon begin his treatment and rehabilitation program.”

The statement added: “We will continue to update everyone on Gabriel’s recovery progress, with everyone at the club focused on supporting Gabriel to ensure he returns to full fitness as soon as possible.”

After scoring just one goal in his first 20 matches across all competitions this season, Jesus netted six goals in six matches before the United game.

Arsenal’s concerns have been further heightened by the absence of international forward Bukayo Saka, who recently underwent surgery on his hamstring.

Arsenal remain in second place, six points behind Liverpool, who have a game in hand, but they have failed to win their last three matches in all competitions.

Arteta responded to questions about whether the club was targeting a striker in the transfer market: “We are actively looking in the market to strengthen the squad, and that’s been the case from day one.”

He added: “We would be naive if we didn’t, as this is always an opportunity to improve the team and the squad, especially in the circumstances we’re facing.”

The former assistant to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City concluded: “So yes, we are looking and working hard, let’s see what we can achieve.”