Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus has admitted that he cannot remember the last time he played a football match without experiencing some sort of pain.
The Brazil international has been plagued by a handful of knee injuries since joining the Gunners from Manchester City in 2022, firstly sustaining a serious issue while representing his country at the World Cup.
Jesus spent a few months on the sidelines following surgery, but he was able to contribute to the closing stages of the 2022-23 season, as Mikel Arteta's side ended their seven-year Champions League exile.
After undergoing another small knee procedure in the summer, Jesus took the Champions League by storm, scoring in each of Arsenal's four group games while also laying on two assists to help the Gunners progress in first place.
However, the 27-year-old has since had to battle back from a hamstring injury and another knee concern, and thanks in no small part to his fitness concerns, he has only managed four Premier League goals in the current campaign.
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Jesus "cannot complain" despite constant pain
Jesus joined Arteta for media duties ahead of Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final first leg against Bayern Munich at the Emirates, during which he conceded that he has been playing through physical discomfort for as long as he can remember.
When asked if his knee was holding up OK, Jesus replied: "I hope so. Sometimes I feel it but I don't remember the last day I played football without pain. I cannot complain.
"I'm just trying to recover in a good way to be ready for the next game. Then that's it. Mentally I try to be strong in my mind, that's it. Normally I don't talk about this, I don't want to talk about what's going wrong.
"After the World Cup I had that injury in my knee and I recovered so well but had a setback after in the pre-season. Then I had to go and open [it up] again and do a small [operation].
"Then after I came back and well I played three games in a row, 90 minutes, and then again the knee. Then after in training I had a kick on my knee. This kind of thing, people don't know this.
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"I'm just trying to get fit and help Arsenal as much as I can. Unfortunately I'm having some problems this season. I hope next season I don't have it.
Arsenal boast fully-fit squad in pre-Bayern training
Before Jesus and Arteta faced the press, the Gunners warmed up for their visit of Bayern on the London Colney training pitches, and every single member of the senior team was present in full training.
As such, ACL victim Jurrien Timber - now approaching the eight-month mark since his devastating injury - was involved, but the Dutchman is still building up his match fitness and will not be considered for selection just yet.
Winger Bukayo Saka admitted that he was "struggling" after coming off in the second half of Saturday's victory over Brighton & Hove Albion, but the 22-year-old practised as normal on Monday.
Meanwhile, Bayern received a quintuple injury boost ahead of their trip to North London, as five players who missed their 3-2 Bundesliga loss to Heidenheim at the weekend took part in training.
Ben Knapton
