Arsenal have been dealt a blow in their quest to win a first Premier League title since 2004 with Gabriel Jesus set to undergo knee surgery.
The Brazilian striker was ruled out of the World Cup last week after experiencing knee pain in the Selecao’s 1-0 loss to Cameroon.
According to the Daily Telegraph, Jesus suffered suspected damage to the medial ligament in his right knee.
It was initially reported that the 25-year-old was only expected to miss a month of action with unnecessary surgery to fix his problem.
And while a specific time frame was not set for his potential return in the report, it has been suggested that his absence could last up to three months.
He is now returning to England for further assessment as Gunners chiefs worry about how long he will be on the sidelines.
Jesus has been instrumental in helping Arsenal rise to the top of the top flight – although he hasn’t scored since early October.
His injury could now force Arsenal to sign a new striker in January to ease Eddie Nketiah’s burden.
Arsenal were already preparing to strengthen their attack in the new year with Shakhtar Donetsk winger Mykhaylo Mudryk as a reported target.
But it remains to be seen whether they will bring in a centre-forward – particularly with Emile Smith Rowe back from injury.
Boss Mikel Arteta could also decide to deploy winger Gabriel Martinelli in a false role of nine if Mudryk is brought in.
England striker Bukayo Saka has revealed he texted his team-mate after being disembowelled when he heard the news of Jesus’ injury.
Speaking to the media on Monday, he said: “He’s a very, very, very important player for us. [Arsenal] and it’s not good to hear the news.
“Obviously I’ve messaged him and I think he’s going to see the doctor and see what he needs to do for the next steps.
“It’s definitely not good news when I heard that.”
Meanwhile, Brazil manager Tite has slammed speculation he knew Jesus was injured when he called him up for his team, calling it “evil lies”.
talkSPORT World Cup 2022 coverage
talkSPORT brings you comprehensive coverage of the 2022 World Cup.
We broadcast all 64 matches of the tournament live, with over 600 hours of coverage on our network.
You can tune into talkSPORT and talkSPORT 2 via our free online streaming service at talkSPORT.com.
talkSPORT is widely available across the UK via DAB digital radio and on 1089 or 1053 AM.
You can also download the talkSPORT app or ask your smart speaker to play talkSPORT.