Arsenal have announced that striker Gabriel Jesus has undergone a successful operation on a knee injury and is now set for a significant spell on the sidelines.
The 25-year-old sustained the problem in Brazil's World Cup 2022 Group G clash with Cameroon, where he was given the nod to start by Tite with qualification already assured.
Jesus struggled to make his mark on the game and was taken off just after the hour mark, but it subsequently emerged that the ex-Manchester City man was nursing a knee issue.
The problem was serious enough to rule him out of the remainder of the tournament, and he was initially believed to have been facing about three weeks on the sidelines.
However, reports from Brazil then claimed that Jesus could be set for months out of action, with the injury possibly being serious enough to require surgical intervention.
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In a major blow to Arsenal's Premier League title push, the Gunners have now confirmed the worst, and Jesus will be out for a significant amount of time as he recovers from the operation.
A statement on arsenal.com read: "Gabriel Jesus has successfully undergone surgery to his right knee after suffering an injury during the Brazil v Cameroon World Cup group stage match on Friday.
"Gabby will now begin his rehabilitation programme. Everyone at the club is supporting Gabby and will be working hard to get him back on the pitch as soon as possible."
Arsenal did not put a timeframe on Jesus's injury, but it is expected to be at least a couple of months before the Brazil international can take to the field again.
Jesus shared a photo from his hospital bed after the operation, which showed the striker giving a thumbs up with the caption: "God is wonderful. I will be back stronger."
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Mikel Arteta's side completed a £45m move for Jesus in the summer transfer window, and the striker has recorded five goals and seven assists in his opening 20 matches for the Gunners.
Jesus's contributions have helped Arsenal establish a five-point lead over Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table, although he has now gone 11 games without scoring since netting against Tottenham Hotspur on October 1.
With Jesus out of action, Eddie Nketiah is set to shoulder the attacking burden after signing a new five-year deal in the summer, and the 23-year-old has three goals in Europa League and EFL Cup action this term.
Nketiah ended the 2021-22 season as Arsenal's first-choice striker and netted braces against Chelsea and Leeds United, but he has not started a single Premier League game this term.
Arteta's side are currently in Dubai for a warm-weather training camp and will take on Lyon and AC Milan in the Dubai Super Cup on December 8 and 13 respectively.
The Gunners then welcome Juventus to the Emirates Stadium for another winter friendly on December 17 before returning to Premier League action against West Ham United on Boxing Day.
Ben Knapton
