Former Arsenal defender Mikael Silvestre doesn't think that Arsenal need to sign an emergency striker option in January amid Gabriel Jesus' injury worries. That's because he thinks that Eddie Nketiah is good enough to fill the void until the Gunners' No. 9 returns to action.
The Brazil star was ruled out of the remainder of the World Cup after suffering medial ligament damage against Cameroon last week. He subsequently returned to London to undergo surgery as he looks to begin his recovery process.
football.london learned of initial scans detecting issues with his knee over the weekend but things are worse than previously feared, and he could be out for several months.
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Fortunately, though, Arsenal confirmed that the procedure went well. A statement from the club on Tuesday read: "Gabriel Jesus has successfully undergone surgery to his right knee after suffering an injury during the Brazil v Cameroon World Cup group stage match on Friday.
"Gabby will now begin his rehabilitation programme. Everyone at the club is supporting Gabby and will be working hard to get him back on the pitch as soon as possible."
Understandably, Silvestre thinks it's a huge blow for Mikel Arteta and his team. "He (Gabriel Jesus) is a key player for Arsenal and is contributing with both goals and assists," he told bettingexpert.
"It is a massive blow for Arsenal that he is injured now because he is so important to their style of playing. He creates space for the other players.
"But when a player is missing it opens up the opportunity for another player to step up. But of course, they will miss him a lot and it’s really not good for Arsenal."
However, the ex-centre-back believes that Edu and his recruitment team don't need to sign an emergency striker in January because they can rely on Nketiah to do a solid job in Jesus' absence.
The former England Under-21s player was on target as Mikel Arteta's side beat Lyon 3-0 in their opening game of the Dubai Super Cup and was widely praised for showing similar attributes to Jesus.
"I don't think it makes any sense to go out and buy a new player," Silvestre added. "I think they should stick with their current squad and I think that Eddie Nketiah has the potential to reach a really high level.
"He (Nketiah) is not completely there yet, but this is his chance to grab the opportunity. He needs to grab this chance and score goals. Nketiah is a really good finisher and he is more like a fox in the box than Gabriel Jesus. So, Arsenal also has to adapt their way of playing."
Nketiah is yet to score in the Premier League this season, though he's yet to start a game in the competition. With Jesus out, he'll have the chance to change that and make a point to Arteta that he deserves a slot in the starting XI long-term.
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