The nightmare before Christmas has come early for Arsenal, who have been rocked by the news that Gabriel Jesus has been forced to undergo surgery on a knee injury.
The 25-year-old sustained the problem while playing for Brazil in their World Cup defeat to Cameroon last week, where he was given the nod from the off but then taken off with 64 minutes gone.
Jesus entered the World Cup off the back of an alarming 11-game goal drought for Arsenal, but he has nevertheless posted a respectable five goals and seven assists from 20 games in all tournaments so far.
The ex-Manchester City man's link-up play and chance creation have been major factors in Arsenal's surge to the top of the Premier League table, and Eddie Nketiah has some big boots to fill over the coming weeks and/or months.
Here, Sports Mole takes a look at what games Jesus could miss through injury for Mikel Arteta's side.
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Arsenal did not put a timeframe on Jesus's recovery time when confirming that the Brazilian had gone under the knife, but there are fears that he could be sidelined for approximately three months and possibly even longer.
As a result, Jesus should be able to return for the latter stages of the 2022-23 season, but whether Arsenal will still be competing for title glory at the top end of the Premier League by then is another question entirely.
The former Palmeiras attacker was immediately ruled out of the rest of Brazil's World Cup campaign, which forced him to miss Monday's 4-1 last-16 win over South Korea, and the Selecao will battle Croatia in the quarter-finals on Friday without him too.
Any potential semi-final or final for the five-time champions will also take place without Jesus in the ranks, and the striker is also set to be absent from Arsenal's winter training camp in Dubai.
The Gunners will take on Lyon and AC Milan in the Dubai Super Cup before meeting Juventus at the Emirates on December 17, although Jesus was never expected to take part in all three matches due to his previous World Cup commitments.
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Following the World Cup break, Arsenal will face West Ham United on Boxing Day before travelling to Brighton & Hove Albion on New Year's Eve, both of which Jesus will sit out, and third-placed Newcastle United visit the Emirates on January 23.
The South American's absence against Oxford United in the third round of the FA Cup should not be felt too much, but Arsenal also face crucial January fixtures away at Tottenham Hotspur and at home to Manchester United, and Jesus will expect to miss both games.
On yet another sour note, Jesus is seemingly set to remain sidelined for a meeting with his former employers Man City on February 15, with the game being rearranged as part of the calendar shake up following Queen Elizabeth II's death and state funeral.
Barring a miraculous recovery, Arsenal will have to cope without Jesus against the champions, although a three-month recovery timeline could see the striker return at the beginning of March.
The draw for the last 16 of the Europa League takes place on February 24 before the first and second legs on March 9 and 16 respectively, so Jesus could therefore make his comeback in continental action if his rehabilitation goes well.
However, should Arsenal reach the fourth and fifth rounds of the FA Cup, which take place at the end of January and first week of March respectively, their quest for a record-extending 15th crown may have to continue without Jesus until the quarter-finals in the third weekend of March.
Ben Knapton
