Gabriel Jesus is training with the ball again at Arsenal’s training ground as he works to make his full comeback from an ACL injury.
Arsenal forward Gabriel Jesus shared a video on social media on Sunday, confirming that he’s now back working with the ball on the training pitches at the club’s London Colney training ground.
Just over a week earlier, Jesus had revealed that he was training on the grass again, but working with the ball at his feet is another step in the right direction.
“It’s been seven months of pain, uncertainty, and anxiety,” Jesus captioned the video. “Today, I finally feel light — like a child playing football again. God is great.”
Football.London report that an return date of October has previously been mooted for Jesus, which is consistent with Charles Watts’ suggestion that the player is still probably a couple of months away from a comeback.
The road back from an ACL injury is always a lengthy one, as Arsenal fans will be well aware. Training with the ball is a milestone, but it will be a little while longer before he trains with the team.
Even then, Arsenal won’t throw the player straight back into competitive matches. The Gunners have often had senior players drop down to the u21s for their first few games back in the past, or at least playing in a few practice matches where possible.
When Jesus eventually does make his on-field comeback for Arsenal, it will be a boost to have an extra option up front. Ideally, the 28-year-old would have been available to cover for Kai Havertz’s absence right now, but sadly that’s not realistic.
After that, Jesus’ fitness will be most relevant for the subsequent transfer windows, with Arsenal likely to cash in while he still has a contract.
