'We're going to find out his real condition' - Brazil boss Diniz insists Gabriel Jesus will join latest 2026 World Cup qualifying squad despite Arsenal's stance on hamstring injury
Fernando Diniz insisted Gabriel Jesus will join the Brazil squad for upcoming World Cup qualifiers, despite Arsenal's stance on his hamstring injury.
WHAT HAPPENED? The striker had to be taken off in the 81st minute during the Gunners' 2-1 Champions League win over Sevilla after he complained of discomfort in his hamstring while challenging for a loose ball. Jesus has missed Arsenal's last three matches due to the issue, with Mikel Arteta refusing to set a timeframe for his return. The Sun have claimed that the Brazilian is likely to remain out of action until December, but Diniz remains optimistic that he will be fit to face Colombia and Argentina during the November international break. Jesus was a surprise inclusion in the latest Brazil squad, with the manager eager to assess his condition in purpose after a similar saga involving Gabriel Martinelli.
WHAT THEY SAID: «In the last squad, we hadn’t called up Martinelli from Arsenal,» Diniz told reporters. «He didn’t report to the CBF in a very complete way, so we didn’t imagine that Martinelli would be ready to play against Venezuela and Uruguay, and he was ready to play before our games.
»Because of this too, we’re going to bring Gabriel in to find out his real condition, because we still have 15 days to go until the games, so we believe he could be fit enough to play, because I like him a lot. We have 24 players on the list, and if anything happens to him we won’t need to change the squad.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: According to Daily Mail, Arsenal want Jesus to be left out of Brazil's squad. The striker has been making impressive progress in rehab at the club's training facility in London Colney and was expected to make a comeback against Newcastle United last weekend. His
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