Arsenal unveiled their UCL squad last week and the exclusion of one particular player raised a few eyebrows. Gabriel Jesus has been injured since the beginning of the year, a serious ACL injury picked up against Manchester United in the FA Cup. Despite his injury, most fans were left surprised by his omission in the UCL league phase squad. This is arguably because the player is back training on the grass, which would have been a firm indicator of a return.Arteta explains Jesus’ omissionAn explanation has been given by Mikel Arteta for his exclusion. Speaking to reporters, in his pre-Forest Presser the Spaniard revealed the player is likely to miss a few more months of action, hence the decision.“He had major surgery that was going to take him many, many months,” he said. “So, after discussing that with the medical staff and understanding the schedule that we had and when we thought that he could be available, that it would be between December and January, we decided to make that call, like we’ve done in the past with other players. Hopefully, we did it wrong and he comes back earlier. But at the moment, the provision was very clear.”Gabriel Jesus injured (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)What next for Jesus?If the club’s estimate is true then it could take up to four months for the Brazilian to make a full return to first-team training. Arteta did not reveal any injury setbacks, but it just goes to show the severity of the ACL injury. A January 2026 return will mean that he would have spent a full year on the sidelines. However, it is worth noting that he could make an even earlier return as suggested by the Arsenal boss.Still in his prime, Jesus will be looking for a swift return to action, potentially fighting for his place in the starting eleven upon his return. Injuries and inconsistency have been the cause of an underwhelming Arsenal career so far. Even though he will likely stake a claim if he returns, the signing of Viktor Gyökeres suggests the club have sadly moved past the Brazilian.Your thoughts on Jesus’ future in red and white?Benjamin Kenneth__________________________________________________________________________________________ADMIN COMMENTSo here are some simple rules which I must insist commenters follow….You agree not to give any personal abuse to other Arsenal fans. Everyone is allowed to hold their own opinions even if you disagree with them. It COSTS NOTHING TO BE POLITE TO OTHER ARSENAL FANS.CALLING ALL ARSENAL FANS! Anyone who would like to contribute an Article or Video opinion piece on JustArsenal, please contact us through this link…More Stories / Latest NewsArteta confirms lengthy absence for Jesus after Champions League omission13 September 2025, 20:30‘Really happy with the team’ – Slegers reacts to Arsenal Women’s big WSL win13 September 2025, 19:30David Raya reaches 100 Arsenal appearances with clean sheet in Forest win13 September 2025, 18:30The post Arteta confirms lengthy absence for Jesus after Champions League omission appeared first on Just Arsenal News.