Gabriel Jesus Ready to Start for Arsenal as Arteta Praises Striker’s Resilience

Key Takeaways:

• Gabriel Jesus could make his first Arsenal start in nearly 12 months during the Carabao Cup quarter-final against Crystal Palace on Tuesday
• Jesus has made three substitute appearances since recovering from his ACL injury sustained in January
• Manager Mikel Arteta has hailed Jesus’ influence and insisted he still plays a vital role for the Gunners

Selection Plans Ahead of Crystal Palace Clash

With Crystal Palace set to visit the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday for their Carabao Cup quarter-final encounter, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has indicated that Gabriel Jesus is in line to be handed a long-awaited starting berth. The Brazilian forward spent several months sidelined due to knee ligament damage suffered in January, but is now back training and building match fitness.

Reporter: 🗣️ "Three appearances off the bench now, is he [Jesus] ready to start?"

Mikel Arteta: "Yes, he is." 💪

Gabriel Jesus is READY TO START against Crystal Palace 👊 pic.twitter.com/PZcCI8CoW0

— Hayters TV (@HaytersTV) December 22, 2025

Arteta is expected to rotate his squad following a 1-0 Premier League victory over Everton on Saturday. The Gunners must again focus on the league when they host Brighton on December 27, as their lead at the top of the table has been narrowed to two points, necessitating a careful balance of priorities across domestic competitions. Nonetheless, the Carabao Cup provides valuable opportunities to give much-needed game time to players returning from injury, including Jesus.

Jesus’ Impact since Recovery and Positional Options

Jesus has featured three times from the bench since his comeback, and Arteta did not rule out a starting role for the striker against the Eagles, stating: “Yes, he is. You can see now, not only on games, every day in training how much he wants it. He’s going to deserve a chance soon.”

Last season, Jesus enjoyed notable success against Crystal Palace, netting five goals in just a few days – highlighted by a Carabao Cup hat-trick and a Premier League brace – before his injury setback. His return gives Arsenal another option in attack alongside summer signing Viktor Gyokeres, who is still adapting to English football.

Arteta emphasised Jesus’ influence in the squad, commenting: “I think that’s probably the biggest quality of Gabi, bringing people together, connecting with people and generating a lot of uncertainty in the opponent. When you see him, the amount of spaces that he is in involved in, that’s his biggest quality. So we need to exploit that.”

Jesus’ Experience and Future at Arsenal

Since arriving from Manchester City in 2022, Jesus has brought Premier League title-winning pedigree to North London, and is on the cusp of reaching 100 appearances for the Gunners across all competitions. Arteta underlined Jesus’ significance to the side despite injury misfortune: “Well it’s been a really intense journey. I would say. I think when he joined us, I think he lifted the belief, the spirit and the energy of the club and the team. I think he gave something very different to what we already had, and it was really impressive.

“And then he had some very bad injuries that hasn’t allowed him to have the consistency that we need from a very important player. But he’s back, I think his fighting spirit, he’s decided to always prepare the best way. He’s unbelievable and the team has got it now and we need to use it.”

Transfer Speculation and Player Commitment

During his injury-enforced absence, Jesus has been the subject of transfer rumours, with links to a possible move to the Saudi Pro League or a return to Palmeiras discussed. However, he addressed such rumours in The Players’ Tribune: “People have asked, ‘Why don’t you just leave? Why don’t you go to Saudi? Or back home to Brazil?’ One day, I would love for everything to come full circle with Palmeiras, but not today.

“I feel that I have unfinished business at Arsenal. I don’t want to leave. When I came here to join Mikel [Arteta], my purpose was not only to score goals. My purpose was to win titles.”

Jesus remains under contract with Arsenal until the summer of 2027. With his 28th birthday approaching and his value likely to decrease as the contract winds down, the club may face transfer decisions in the coming windows while striving to maximise his on-field contributions.