da betano casino： Arsenal have been dealt a sizeable blow in their preparations for the new Premier League season, with manager Mikel Arteta set to have to make do without centre-forward star, Gabriel Jesus in the early knockings of the campaign.
da betsul： Following what has been a largely positive summer for the Gunners thus far – with the likes of Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber having all been brought to the club – the loss of the Brazilian will be an unwanted headache for the former Manchester City assistant.
What's the latest on Gabriel Jesus' injury?
As confirmed by Arteta, the 26-year-old is set to be out of action for "a few weeks" after recently undergoing knee surgery, with the ex-City striker having seemingly been impacted by the same issue which kept him on the sidelines for much of the second half of the season.
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While not a "major" concern – in the words of the Gunners boss – it will be of real frustration to have to make do without the 59-cap international yet again, with Jesus having already missed 15 games during his debut season at the club last time out.
Who will replace Gabriel Jesus?
The question now will be as to just how Arteta will go about dealing with the loss of the 5 foot 9 sensation, with the Emirates outfit forced to fill the void of a player who scored 11 goals and contributed seven assists in just 26 league outings in 2022/23.
The obvious choice for the role would be Jesus' usual understudy, Eddie Nketiah, although the Englishman was hardly prolific when given an extended run in the side, having scored just four goals in 30 league games last season.
Equally, while exciting prospect Folarin Balogun – who scored 21 Ligue 1 goals last season while on loan at Reims – is currently part of the first-team squad, Arteta appeared to hint that the 22-year-old's future won't be impacted by the injury to Jesus, with a move away from the club looking likely.
Suitors appear to be lining up to land the United States international – who has been valued at around £50m by the Arsenal hierarchy – hence ensuring that the club may need to look elsewhere to find someone else to lead the line in Jesus' absence.
One perhaps left-field option could well be that of 19-year-old academy star, Khayon Edwards, with the teenage marksman having proven rather prolific in the youth set-up of late.
Who is Khayon Edwards?
The £5k-per-week starlet is yet to make a competitive senior appearance for the Gunners to date, although he was previously drafted into the first-team squad by Arteta last season after being named on the bench for two Europa League group stage ties.
That promotion had no doubt been deserved as the Hale End gem boasts a tally of 23 goals and nine assists in just 41 games for the U18s, while also making a promising start to life at a higher age group with five goals in 21 games for the U21 side.
Described as "deadly" in front of goal in the past by football.london's Kaya Kaynak, Arsenal's official website also states that the local lad is 'a hard-working, natural goalscorer with pace to burn'.
That work ethic could well make Edwards a dream replacement for Jesus through the middle, with the one-time Palmeiras ace also rather relentless when leading the line, ranking in the top 3% for tackles and the top 9% for interceptions made per 90 among his European peers.
Equally, much like the latter man is able to bring others into play – as he ranks in the top 6% for assists – Edwards also seems to possess that creative prowess, with the club's official website writing that: 'Khayon also showed he was able to play deeper as a No. 10, impressing with his link-up play.'
Those shared traits between the Englishman and the Brazilian would indicate that if handed the chance, young Edwards could certainly have a good crack at filling the shoes of the stricken Jesus.