Tite slams 'evil lies' suggesting Gabriel Jesus played injured for Brazil before his early World Cup exit

• Jesus didn't start first two games
• Lasted just 64 minutes the third match
• Now out of the whole tournament

WHAT HAPPENED? It has sadly been confirmed that Jesus will not play for Brazil again in Qatar having seemingly suffered a knee injury against Cameroon. While it remains unclear when exactly the forward will be back, he will likely also miss out on some Arsenal games when they resume their season, and it has been suggested that the Selecao were aware that he was dealing with a fitness issue before the World Cup got underway.

WHAT THEY SAID:  When asked if Jesus had been playing injured for Brazil, Tite angrily snapped back at reporters: "That’s a very good question because I don’t like hearing lies out there, evil lies. Those other people want to do bad things for others. At no time, whatsoever, do we play for a victory at the risk or peril of a player. So the liar who’s out there, because that’s the name isn’t it? The haters, right? They keep giving hate, it gives them an opportunity, go and do something else and stop giving fake news.

"Arsenal have a great medical department, we have a great medical department, we are responsible, we are personally responsible, we are ethical, it would never have happened."

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Not only will Jesus now have to watch on from afar as Brazil endeavour to win their first World Cup since 2002, but the forward may also miss out on a crucial period of the 2022-23 campaign for Arsenal as they chase their first Premier League title since 2004.

IN TWO PHOTOS:

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Lucas Figueiredo/CBF

WHAT NEXT FOR JESUS? Brazil take on South Korea in their first knockout stage match of the World Cup, but Jesus may not play any football until January at the earliest with Arsenal back in Premier League action against West Ham on December 26.