Stan Collymore has written in CaughtOffSide that Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus should not expect to walk straight back into the team when he is fit due to the current form of Eddie Nketiah.
Jesus is the number one striker at Arsenal, but the Brazil international is on the sidelines at the moment.
The 25-year-old, who joined the Gunners from defending Premier League champions Manchester City in the summer of 2022, suffered the injury while playing for Brazil at the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
There is speculation that the £265,000-a-week (Spotrac) striker will be back in over a month’s time.
Former Liverpool striker Collymore believes that Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta should continue to play Nketiah in attack due to his form and make Jesus work hard to get his place back.
The 23-year-old striker has been playing well for the Gunners in the absence of Jesus and scored two goals against Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium in the Premier League this past weekend.
Stan Collymore on Arsenal strikers Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah
Collymore wrote: “Gabriel Jesus cannot just come straight back into Arsenal’s starting 11 and if he does, I’d be really disappointed with Mikel Arteta.
“Eddie Nketiah, who was absolutely brilliant on Sunday against Man United, is closing in on double figures for goals and it’s not yet February, so his next target will be 15 and then 20, and given the run of form he’s on at the moment, including his brace on the weekend, his manager should stick with him and make Jesus fight for his place again.
“Nketiah has not only shown that he can link the play up well but has also proven he’s a natural goalscorer. He has qualities that Jesus doesn’t.
“Not only that but if Arteta does drop Nketiah as soon as Jesus comes back, that’d send the wrong message to the other young players, so in my view, the Brazilian needs to accept his place is now behind Nketiah and be prepared to fight to win it back.”
What should Mikel Arteta do?
In our view, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta should continue to play Eddie Nketiah even after Gabriel Jesus is back to full fitness.
The former Leeds United loanee is showing what he can do now that he is getting a run of games.
It would be unfair on the youngster if he is dropped as soon as Jesus is back in contention.
We think that Arteta should gradually ease the Brazilian star into the team after he recovers from injury..
And, as Collymore says, Arteta should make the former Manchester City striker work hard for his place back.
Healthy competition is always good for any football team.
Meanwhile, journalist Ben Jacobs has told GiveMeSport that Arsenal wanted to sign Jack Harrison from Leeds United in the summer of 2022.
Jacobs said: “Jack Harrison is another long-standing target. With Harrison, I think it’s a slightly different situation now compared to the summer.
“Arsenal were not the only club that considered a move for Harrison, although they didn’t move in any sort of significant way necessarily.
“They certainly made enquiries, as did Newcastle United. I think that now on the Harrison front, it’s perhaps a level of clubs slightly below where Arsenal are, that are looking at the player.”
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