Mikel Arteta could still lead Arsenal to glory in the Champions League this season but the Spaniard wishes he could go back and change one thing about the Gunners 2024/25.
Mikel Arteta has revealed he wishes he could go back and prevent Gabriel Jesus’ injury after watching the Brazilian rupture his ACL. The forward suffered the heartbreaking blow in the FA Cup defeat by Manchester United in January.
The 28-year-old had to undergo surgery and is continuing to rehabilitate his injury with Arsenal now having an out-and-out striker since. Leandro Trossard and Mikel Merino have deputised after Kai Havertz suffered a freak training-ground hamstring injury a month later.
While Havertz is pushing hard to return, Jesus still has a long road to full recovery. The former Manchester City star will hope to make a comeback before the end of 2025.
Jesus had started to find some form in the weeks preceding his injury, with six of his seven goals coming within a month of the United clash. And Arteta is sad he can not return to that moment to prevent his charge suffering a severe injury.
Speaking to the Men In Blazers show, Arteta admitted he would consider doing things differently this season. “Possibly. Yeah,” he said.
“It’s very difficult now to understand that, if I could pause the game and say, Gabriel Jesus, we brought you back to life. You know, you are doing incredibly well.
“You’re going to now get injured, so stop. I would stop him, bring another player in and continue to play the game. Unfortunately, we cannot do this in football.”
Despite a number of injuries to key players and failing to mount a serious title challenge in the Premier League, the Gunners have reached the Champions League semi-final. Wednesday evening sees the north London side attempt to overcome a one-goal deficit against Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes.
And the Spaniard is pleased with what his side have delivered despite the adversity they have suffered. Arteta added: “I am probably prouder than I was back in August.
“While we have to deliver, we’ve been through a lot this season with a lot of very difficult situations that in any other circumstances would have put the club and the team in a very, very difficult position.
“I see the team where we are and how we are competing and it is an absolute joy because in ten, 15, 20 years I analysed what happened when these things happened to other clubs and it’s very different.
“In the period that we play with the amount of injuries, you have zero chance to win the league and you have very few chances even to play in the Champions League.
“That’s history, what we’ve done in the Champions League with that, with those conditions in my opinion is extraordinary.”
Mirror.co.uk
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