Mikel Arteta moved in mysterious ways over Gabriel Jesus on Wednesday night as he refused to say if the Brazil striker has travelled for Thursday's Europa League tie with Sporting Lisbon - and then said he will not rush him back.
The Arsenal boss played down reports in the Spanish media linking him with the Real Madrid job next season. But Arteta was less straightforward over his £45million striker who underwent surgery after suffering a knee injury at the World Cup.
Jesus was photographed training on the Emirates pitch on Saturday and again at London Colney on Wednesday morning before the flight to the Portuguese capital. But Arteta - and later a club spokesman - declined to say if his star striker was on the plane and has the chance to make a shock comeback against Sporting.
“News on the squad will be tomorrow,” Arteta said on Wednesday. “We have brought a few players and you will see tomorrow who is available.” Before the win over Bournemouth last weekend, Arteta said of Jesus: “He's not far now. I don't want to give a timeline. He's not very close but he is not far at all.”
Speaking in the Estadio Jose Alvalade after Arsenal’s flight was delayed, Arteta added: “We will try not to rush him (Jesus) back. We will try to make a fair assessment between what he needs and when is comfortable and as well giving the team a boost that it’s going to need in the next few weeks for sure.
“Everything is going well, he needs time as well to get himself that confidence and that physical state that is necessary to compete with a free mind and once he’s free to do that, we will throw him in.”
Fellow Brazilian Gabriel Martinelli said the imminent return of his fellow Brazilian would be a “big boost” for the Premier League leaders. “He is a great guy and a great player,” he said of his compatriot. “I have said it many times but for me, he is one of the best in the world. For sure, he is going to help us a lot in the next few months.”
With strikers Eddie Nkietah and Leandro Trossard out injured, Martinelli said he was ready to take the extra responsibility of leading the line in the last-16 tie. He has scored four in the last four.
“If I am a No.9 or on the wing, I always try to do my best and help the team and score or assist,” he said. “We play for Arsenal and I think everyone has this responsibility.”
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The Real Madrid story has come with the Champions League winners nine points behind Barcelona in La Liga and Carlo Ancelotti reportedly approached by Brazil to take the national team job.
Arteta said: “It’s things that managers or players can’t control what is written. What I can tell is that I’m fully focused on what I’m doing here and extremely proud and grateful to do what I’m doing in this football club. That’s it.”
