Arsenal star Gabriel Jesus opens up on injury hell after returning in Champions League win

Arsenal forward Gabriel Jesus has revealed he endured nearly a year of profound self-doubt during his lengthy injury layoff, but insists he is poised to return stronger than ever.

The Brazilian made his highly anticipated comeback for the Gunners in their 3-0 Champions League victory over Club Brugge on Wednesday, marking his first appearance in 332 days.

Jesus, who suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, almost capped his return with a goal, only for his late effort to strike the crossbar.

The 28-year-old, who had netted six goals in seven appearances before his season-ending injury against Manchester United in the FA Cup on 12 January, described his recovery as a challenging ordeal.

"It was 11 months, 11 months of doubting yourself," he reflected on his time on the sidelines. "My first thoughts were like, why? You always keep questioning why and the reason why."

open image in gallery

Gabriel Jesus suffered a serious knee injury back in January (Mike Egerton/PA) (PA Wire)

He continued: "It wasn’t an easy season for me last season and then, at the moment I stepped in and started to play, started to score goals and play good, this happened. So every single day for the first two or three weeks, I asked why it happened to me.

“And then I understood that I needed to be closer to Jesus, to God, to read the Bible. It helped me so much, you know, because it kept me believing that I’m a son of God and then I could do everything if I felt God’s plans."

Jesus credits his faith with his resilience. "If I didn’t hear the Bible every single day, I am 100 per cent sure I would not have believed I could come back stronger than ever. Now I believe even more, because I’m a son of God."

His return offers a timely boost for manager Mikel Arteta, who faced significant selection challenges in Belgium due to a raft of injuries and illnesses affecting eight players.

Despite these setbacks, Arsenal secured a comfortable win – their sixth consecutive victory in Europe – effectively guaranteeing their place in the knockout stages.

Jesus is expected to feature again on Saturday when Arsenal host Wolves, with Manchester City having narrowed their Premier League lead to just two points.

open image in gallery

Gabriel Jesus hopes to help Arsenal win their first league title since 2004 (John Walton/PA) (PA Wire)

Asked about the impact he can make on Arteta’s title-chasing squad, Jesus stated: "The clubs I have played for, I had my role there and I always help in a good way. Obviously when you are not playing it’s more difficult, I’m not going to lie."

He added: "I’m not a kid anymore, I’m 28, it sounds young, but Max (Dowman) is 15, Ethan (Nwaneri) is 18, Myles (Lewis-Skelly) is 19. More than experience, I can bring some difference to the players we have.

“In my career I had amazing moments, I have won amazing titles. I have been in amazing positions with the clubs before, and even with Arsenal .

“Unfortunately we did not win anything yet, but just to come to Arsenal and then help, like everyone else, to make Arsenal fight for the titles again, this makes me feel happy."