Gabriel Jesus is yet to start training amid fears the Manchester City forward’s knee injury may be more serious than first thought. Pep Guardiola had expected him to return for the game in Basel on Tuesday, which City won 4-0.
Jesus has missed City’s past 11 matches after sustaining knee ligament damage in the 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace on New Year’s Eve.
The Brazilian is understood to have had the brace removed from his knee at the start of the month. Yet despite Guardiola’s statement that the forward could be available for the Champions League last-16 first leg against the Swiss champions he is yet to resume full training.
Speaking two days before City’s 4-3 defeat at Liverpool on 14 January, the manager said: “Yesterday he was in Barcelona with Dr Cugat [a specialist] and at the end the news is quite good. I think two or three weeks, against Basel in the Champions League, he could be ready.”
Jesus now appears in a race to be fit for City’s Carabao Cup final against Arsenal on Sunday week.