"He’ll need to earn his place" - Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta claims 'exceptional' star will not walk back into team after injury layoff

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has said that striker Gabriel Jesus will have to 'earn his place' back in the starting XI after his return from injury.

The Brazilian striker suffered a knee injury during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar in November. He underwent surgery and is expected to be out of action till early March.

Ahead of the Gunners' Premier League clash against Everton on Saturday (March 4), Arteta was asked if Jesus would return straight to the starting XI once he returns. He responded (via Football.London):

"Probably that wouldn’t be fair on him because when he was in the team he was phenomenal. But when he’s back, like everybody else, he’ll need to earn his place in the team."

Jesus joined Arsenal from Manchester City last summer and became a crucial part of the team before his injury. He has contributed five goals and seven assists in 20 games across competitions this season. Arteta also provided an update on the striker's recovery:

"He’s not far now. I don’t want to give a timeline, but he’s doing certain things with the team and certain things outside the team. He’s not very close, but he’s not very far (either). The doctors are feeling confident with how he’s evolving."

Arteta added:

"It’s been pretty straightforward. At the beginning, we were pretty concerned, and, thankfully, it wasn’t that bad. Gabi has been through that before; his mentality is incredible, and the team has done a really good job with him."

In Jesus' absence, Eddie Nketiah has stepped up to take up the striker role for Arsenal.

He has scored nine goals and provided two assists in 32 games across competitions this season. Arteta has also used January signing Leandro Trossard as a centre-forward in recent games.

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Arsenal look to consolidate position at Premier League summit

The Gunners sit atop the Premier League table with a five-point lead over second-placed Manchester City after 25 games. After a winless run of three games, losing two, Arsenal have bounced back with wins over Leicester City and Everton.

They now host 19th-placed Bournemouth, who're desperate for points. They have won just one of their last five Premier League games.

Bournemouth suffered a big 4-1 loss against Manchester City in their previous outing. The Gunners won the reverse fixture against them 3-0 in August and will fancy their chances of a double to extend their cushion at the top.