Gabriel Jesus aggravated his knee injury during Brazil's 1-0 group-stage defeat to Cameroon in the 2022 World Cup.
He was taken off in the 64th minute and was being consoled after the game by Neymar as he understood that not only his World Cup was over but was set to face a lengthy period on the sidelines.
However, after successfully undergoing rehab, Jesus is nearing full-match fitness.
GOAL tells you everything you need to know about the possible fixture that could mark his long-awaited return to action.
When did Gabriel Jesus undergo surgery?
An MRI scan revealed that it would be best for Jesus to undergo surgery. The striker did not waste time and went under the knife during the World Cup in the first week of December.
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Arsenal announced in a brief official statement: "Everyone at the club is supporting Gabby and will be working hard to get him back on the pitch as soon as possible."
He was soon filmed walking around with crutches, hinting that the surgery was successful.
When is Gabriel Jesus likely to return to action for Arsenal?
Since the surgery, Jesus has worked slowly but steadily to return to competitive action. He had been working on his fitness with Arsenal's medical team and was at the Emirates Stadium on January 22 to watch the Gunners beat Manchester United 3-2.
He joined Arsenal's London Colney training centre On February 7 and has been following a carefully mapped fitness plan to return to action as quickly as possible.
He was spotted doing light ball work on the training pitch, although his recovery's key focus was on strengthening his knee.
Before facing Leicester City in the Premier League, Mikel Arteta stated: "He’s progressing really well, he’s doing more and more on the field and the knee is not reacting, so really positive. We want to have him as quick as possible, but respect as well a little bit the timeframe we got from the doctors and the specialists. But he’s really pushing the boundaries right now.”
Arsenal can expect to have Jesus back in the fold before the international break at the end of March. The Gunners are set to host Crystal Palace at the Emirates on March 19, and if all goes well, he might feature against the Eagles in front of his home fans.
How many matches has Gabriel Jesus missed for Arsenal?
Jesus has not been in action for Arsenal since their 2-0 win over Wolves in the Premier League on November 12, 2022. This means he has missed 12 games so far and is set to miss a few more.
He is definitely out for Wednesday's clash with Everton and Saturday's match with Bournemouth. Moreover, he is expected to sit out the two legs of their Europa League round of 16 tie with Sporting CP and a trip to Fulham in between.
Then they are scheduled to host Palace, in which he is likely to make a return. So, overall, the striker looks set to miss around 17 games for Arsenal.