Gabriel Jesus reveals struggles with injuries and complications during the birth of his daughter

Gabriel Jesus has overcome a serious left knee injury that kept him out of action for Arsenal for a long time. In an open letter published in The Players’ Tribune, the striker described the difficulties he encountered during his recovery and highlighted the fundamental role of his family, who stood by him and were essential in preserving his emotional strength throughout this process.

“For me, a day without football is a terrible day. In fact, it’s been like that ever since I learned to play football. Since I tore my ACL, I’ve had 300 bad days in a row. So when the doctor told me I’d be out for 12 months, I collapsed mentally. Thank God, the people who really saved me during that time were my wife, my daughter Helena and I was expecting my second son, Daniel,” he began.

The Brazilian player suffered a ruptured knee ligament in January and was only able to return to the field in December. His return came from the bench, first during the duel against Club Brugge in the Champions League then against Wolverhampton in the English Championship.

“During the first months of my recovery, I was practically living on the couch at home. I would come down in the morning, leaning on my crutches, and it was my world. Treatment. Breakfast. Treatment. Lunch. Treatment. Nap. Treatment. I was watching Arsenal matches on TV, and it was the worst feeling in the world. Besides, every player knows this anxiety. I was totally helpless, like a fan. Every time we missed a opportunity to score, I was throwing the cushions on the ground. All you want is “It’s about helping, and you can’t,” he continued.

During the time he was out due to injury, Gabriel Jesus had to deal with being away from the football field at the same time as paying attention to his daughter Helena, who still didn’t understand the reason for her father’s absence from football. At the same time, the attacker was awaiting the arrival of her second son, Daniel, and emphasized that, despite the difficulties, the injury ended up becoming a kind of “blessing”, because it allowed her to follow the pregnancy closely.

Gabriel Jesus intends to return to Palmeiras in a few years

The former Palmeiras native also revealed that his wife, Raiane, faced serious complications during the birth of their first daughter, a situation he described as “traumatic.” Passionate about the dream of being a father from a very young age, Jesus highlighted the emotional impact of this episode on his life.

“She (Raiane) had to give birth here in England, far from her family and without speaking the language. During the birth, there was a serious complication and she lost a lot of blood. When you are faced with a medical problem like this, in fact, the terms that the nurses use are scary, even if it is in your mother tongue. So everything happens very quickly. You feel helpless. But when you are just learning the language and something like this happens, it is even more terrifying. (…) I held my daughter’s hand for just one day and the next morning I was already packing because I had to take a flight to play for the Brazilian team,” Jesus said.

Established in English football and recovered from his injury, Gabriel Jesus has stressed that he maintains the desire to return to defend Palmeiras at some point in his career. Despite this, current commitments and obstacles exclude the possibility of an immediate return to the club that revealed him, leaving this idea for the future. Apart from Carlo Ancelotti’s current plans, the striker is focused on recovering from his good performances in Europe, with the aim of staying in the spotlight and fueling his dream of playing in the World Cup.

“People ask me: ‘Why don’t you leave? Why don’t you go to Saudi Arabia? Or go home to Brazil?’. One day I would like to play for Palmeiras again, but not today. I feel like I have unfinished business at Arsenal,” concluded Gabriel Jesus.

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