Arsenal Add Jesus to UCL Squad Replacing Injured Dowman

Gabriel Jesus has been added to Arsenal's Champions League squad with immediate effect, replacing teenage winger Max Dowman after the youngster suffered an ankle injury, the club announced this week. The 28-year-old Brazilian forward, sidelined since January with an anterior cruciate ligament tear, is now eligible for Wednesday's league-phase match against Club Brugge in Belgium.

Jesus sustained the knee injury during an FA Cup third-round game against Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium on January 12, 2025, when he was stretchered off the pitch. The former Manchester City striker underwent surgery and has spent nearly a year rehabilitating, marking his longest absence since joining Arsenal in 2022. He returned to full training with the first team in recent weeks and made the substitutes' bench for the Gunners' Premier League matches against Chelsea and Brentford. To build match fitness, Jesus also featured in an under-21 friendly against Manchester United last Saturday at St. George's Park, alongside Dowman and former Arsenal midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Dowman's injury occurred in that same U-21 fixture, forcing Arsenal to invoke UEFA regulations that permit one...