Explained: Why Gabriel Jesus was left out of Arsenal's squad for Premier League clash against Aston Villa

When Arsenal published their lineup and bench to face Villa, Jesus was nowhere to be seen among the 20-strong group. But the Gunners quickly clarified the situation, given it seemed odd just a few days ahead of the transfer deadline.

Jesus was confirmed by the club to be missing as a result of what was described as a "slight groin issue", seemingly ruling out any deeper meaning behind his absence. The Brazilian is no longer a regular starter for Arsenal, despite the lack of another striker, but did feature off the bench against Wolves last weekend.

Jesus wasn't called up by Brazil for the Copa America during the summer, ensuring he was able to get a full pre-season under his belt to sharpen his fitness after an injury-hit 2023-24 campaign.

It remains to be seen how long Jesus may be sidelined for. But Mikel Arteta would see a prolonged absence as a blow to squad depth, with Arsenal set to face Brighton next weekend, followed by a north London derby against Tottenham on September 15 after the international break.