‘It will cause problems in time’: Paul Merson says Arsenal have a big issue on the horizon
Writing in his column for Sky Sports, Paul Merson has been discussing Gabriel Jesus’ return from injury and his place in the team.
Jesus has been out of action for three months after picking up an injury at the World Cup, but he made his return at the weekend against Fulham off of the bench.
A lot has changed at Arsenal since Jesus was injured. Three new players came in during the January transfer window, and one of those has really stepped up and taken Jesus’ place in the attack – Leandro Trossard.
Trossard has been absolutely brilliant since joining Arsenal, and now, Merson reckons that his brilliance will cause a bit of an issue for Mikel Arteta as Gabriel Jesus may have to play on the bench for a little while, stating that the Brazilian being out of the team could cause problems in time.
Problem on the horizon
Merson gave his verdict on Jesus returning.
“Gabriel Jesus coming back is a bit of a problem for Arsenal because the lad will want to play – he didn’t sign to be a bit-part player like he was at Man City. It will cause problems in time but at the moment it’s like another signing,” Merson said.
Strike a balance
The key to being an elite manager with an elite group of players is to strike a balance within your squad when it comes to rotation.
In the shape of Jesus, Trossard, Eddie Nketiah and Gabriel Martinelli, Arteta has four brilliant, interchangeable, attacking stars, but he needs to find a way to keep them all happy with the minutes they’re playing.
It is very difficult to strike this balance, but after spending time under Pep Guardiola – who is the master of rotation in a lot of ways, Arteta should have some sort of idea of what he needs to do here.
