BBC presenter Gary Lineker believes Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus will struggle to get his place back in the starting eleven when he recovers from injury.

The Gunners have been in phenomenal form in front of goal, scoring 21 times in their last 5 league fixtures. Jesus was among the contributors, scoring against Nottingham Forest at the end of last month, but Lineker claims his position as a regular starter is in danger:

“Jesus has been out injured and it’s questionable now whether and where he will get back in. Havertz is contributing as well.”

Although Lineker suggests it will be Havertz who will keep Jesus on the bench, it’s more likely that the performances of Leandro Trossard will be the determining factor in whether the Brazilian international plays or not.

The Belgian has been outstanding recently, having scored in 4 of his last 5 appearances for Arsenal and, if he maintains his current levels, there is no reason to drop him.

Arteta will need to rotate his squad

Of course, the Gunners won’t be able to play with the same eleven for the rest of the season so Jesus will still get his opportunities to play.

Manager Mikel Arteta doesn’t exactly have the biggest squad of players to choose from so he will appreciate having someone like the Brazilian available and ready to step in if required.

When will Jesus be back in contention to play for Arsenal?

The 26-year-old hasn’t featured since playing a key role in the Gunners’ 2-1 win over Forest. He has been carrying a knee injury which is taking longer than expected to heal.

However, reports indicate that Jesus is now on the mend and he could make an appearance either against Porto in the Champions League midweek or when his team take on Newcastle at the Emirates this weekend.