Arteta laments Jesus injury as Arsenal weigh options

Mikel Arteta says Arsenal will 'look at options' with Gabriel Jesus reportedly sidelined for three months after undergoing knee surgery.

The Brazilian striker has been ruled out for the remainder of the World Cup after picking up an injury in the Group G clash between Selecao and Cameroon.

According to unconfirmed reports in Brazil, Jesus will be out for three months, while Premier League leaders Arsenal confirmed on Tuesday that he has started his rehabilitation programme.

The 25-year-old has played a key role in the Gunners' impressive start to the season, which sees them five points clear at the top after 14 games.

Jesus' tally of five goals is only bettered for Arsenal by Martin Odegaard (six), while only Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne (nine) and team-mate Bukayo Saka (six) have recorded more assists in the English top flight than his five.

As the January transfer window approaches, Arteta revealed that the club are exploring options to deal with the setback in the most constructive way.

"What it affects is who we are as a team because he gives us so much," said the Spaniard. "So what we can do after that, when we know the timeline [of his recovery] and when we can get him back, we'll look at the options and try to make the right decision.

"I feel like my team is really good. Unfortunately, we have had injuries and we will try to see what we can do to be strong. We have players, we have a lot of support players .

"[The question is] do we have the players who can give us the performance and consistency we need to sustain and improve from where we are?"

Arsenal reclaim their title with a home clash against West Ham on December 26, having won six out of six at the Emirates Stadium in the league this season.