The Arsenal medical staff have welcomed a familiar face back into the treatment room, as Gabriel Jesus is on the mend from his latest Gunners injury.
The Brazil international has endured a rough time of things on the fitness front since moving to North London from Manchester City in 2022, having to go under the knife on multiple occasions for knee problems and also hurting his hamstring last season.
However, Jesus was able to shine for Arsenal in pre-season amid hope that he would be back to his best with an uninterrupted summer, although he was only a late substitute in the 2-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers two weekends ago.
A few hours before Arsenal squared up to Aston Villa in Premier League gameweek two, rumours emerged that the 27-year-old had not travelled with the squad due to a groin injury, and he was indeed missing from the ranks at Villa Park.
Speaking to the press after Arsenal's 2-0 success over Unai Emery's side, Mikel Arteta confirmed that the former Man City attacker had hurt his groin and would be sent for scans this week to determine the length of his absence.
How many Arsenal games could Jesus miss?
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It has been claimed that Arsenal are confident Jesus has not suffered a severe injury, although more tests are needed to determine the length of his absence, and his history of fitness issues could see the Gunners exercise particular caution too.
If Jesus has only suffered a minor groin strain, the 27-year-old could only be out of action for a couple of weeks, meaning that he could target a return after the September international break.
Even a small issue would likely render Jesus unavailable for this weekend's Saturday lunchtime kickoff against Brighton & Hove Albion, though, while his participation against Tottenham Hotspur on September 15 is also up in the air.
It is also difficult to envisage Jesus being fit for Brazil's World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador (September 7) and Paraguay (September 11), although he was not called up to his nation's Copa America squad anyway.
However, should Jesus's injury prove more serious than first feared, the South American may need at least a month to get back to full fitness, and a 12-week layoff would be the worst-case scenario.
The latter layoff would see the ex-Palmeiras starlet ruled out of clashes with Liverpool (October 27) and Chelsea (November 9), although it should not come to that if the initial signs are as promising as they seem.
What could Jesus's injury mean for Eddie Nketiah?
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Jesus's absence from the matchday squad at Villa Park meant that Eddie Nketiah was Arsenal's only other recognised striker behind Kai Havertz, who has cemented his place at the tip of Arteta's attack.
The Gunners have been inundated with offers for Nketiah, who has seen transfers to Nottingham Forest, Marseille and Bournemouth collapse, but he could still leave before the August 30 deadline amid interest from Crystal Palace.
Jesus's injury has naturally raised speculation about whether Nketiah could stay at the Emirates after all, as Arteta is not blessed with several central options, and the Gunners boss has said that the 25-year-old wants to stay.
However, as Jesus is not expected to be sidelined for months, Arsenal are still believed to be open to letting Nketiah leave if their £30m valuation is met, and the Englishman is keen to secure regular game time either at the Emirates or elsewhere.
Ben Knapton
