HIGHLIGHT
Manchester City’s title hopes have been dealt a major blow after the club confirmed on Tuesday that forward Gabriel Jesus broke a metatarsal in Monday’s 2-0 Premier League win at Bournemouth.
The Brazil international has flourished since joining the City squad in January following a reported £28.6m move from Palmeiras and has scored three Premier League goals in his last two games.
However, his impressive start to his Premier League career was halted on Monday after he was taken off in the 15th minute at Vitality Stadium.
A statement from City said: “Manchester City can confirm Gabriel Jesus suffered a fractured metatarsal during the 2-0 win over Bournemouth on Monday night.
“The 19-year-old was withdrawn from action after 15 minutes of the game and assessed by the Club’s medical staff. He will undergo further examinations in the coming days to establish the extent of his layoff.
“We wish Gabriel a speedy recovery and we will keep you updated on his progress via the Club’s official channels in the coming days.”
This will come as a blow to City as they try and chase down Chelsea at the top of the table particularly as reports suggest Jesus could be missing for three months.
Jesus was hoping to become the third City player to find the net on each of his first three Premier League starts, having scored at West Ham and two against Swansea.
The other two players to have achieved that feat are former striker Emmanuel Adebayor and current midfielder Kevin de Bruyne.