£45m player’s chances of staying at Arsenal have surely just increased after developments yesterday

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The chances of young forward Folarin Balogun staying at Arsenal this summer may have just increased.

That’s because Mikel Arteta had to deliver an unexpected update on the fitness of striker Gabriel Jesus.

With Arsenal’s campaign kicking off in a matter of days against Manchester City in the Community Shield, the last thing they needed was an injury to a key player.

Sadly, after the match, Arteta said: “Unfortunately, he has had a little procedure this morning, he had some discomfort in his knee that has been causing some issues and they had to go in and resolve it.

“It’s not something major, but he’s going to be out for a few weeks I think.”

Mikel Arteta went with Eddie Nketiah last night and even handed him the captain’s armband.

The 24-year-old scored Arsenal’s only goal of the game before being replaced in the last minutes by Marquinhos.

One player who wasn’t in the squad was Folarin Balogun.

The youngster has been linked with a move away this summer that could be worth £45m if Arsenal sell him.

However, it seems much more like now that Balogun will be staying at Arsenal to provide cover for the injured Brazilian.

Balogun could now be staying at Arsenal

Mikel Arteta might now have to make a very difficult decision over Balogun this summer.

The 22-year-old has made it clear that he doesn’t want to sit on the bench this season.

He’s also not keen on another loan move and so Arsenal could have to reluctantly sell him.

However, now that Gabriel Jesus is injured, Balogun may be forced into staying at Arsenal.

It would leave Mikel Arteta with only Nketiah as an out-and-out striker in the squad.

He has proven to be an able deputy for Jesus before but if anything were to happen to him then with Balogun, Arteta would be forced into some interesting tactical decisions.

Both Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard can play as a centre-forward as well.

However, the towering German struggled in that role at Chelsea, while Trossard is much better suited to playing in a deeper position.

The extent of Jesus’s injury might end up deciding whether Balogun stays or goes.

Whether or not he’s in the squad for Sunday’s final at Wembley may give us an indication of Arteta’s thinking on the American international’s future.