Mikel Arteta has ruled out the prospect of Gabriel Jesus leaving Arsenal in January.

The 28-year-old made his long-awaited return to first-team actions as a 62nd-minute substitute in Wednesday’s 3-0 Champions League win at Club Brugge.

Jesus had been sidelined since January after undergoing knee surgery and afterwards claimed “God saved my life” as he battled “11 months of helping myself and then feeling scared to come back different, maybe with some limitations.”

The striker faces tough competition to win back a regular starting spot, however, with €73 million ($85.6m) summer signing Viktor Gyökeres fit again and Kai Havertz nearing a return to full fitness following his own knee problem.

Without that trio, midfielder Mikel Merino has thrived as a makeshift centre-forward and the combination has led to speculation Jesus could seek a move in January in a bid to force his way into the Brazil squad for next summer’s World Cup finals.

However, speaking on Friday, Arteta was asked whether he would consider allowing Jesus, whose contract expires in the summer of 2027, to leave next month.

“No, I don’t consider that and especially with the situation we have right now,” replied Arteta. “I think Gabby has a lot to offer to the team and he is proving that straight away in the first minutes that he was available to play. He has put so much [in] to be in this position again and now the focus is to be with us.

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“A player of his quality, a player who has given us so much and when he comes with the energy he did the other day, he is certainly a player who has to be pushing and aiming [to start], that’s for sure.”

Arteta was typically guarded on his squad’s injuries, claiming Declan Rice, Jurriën Timber, William Saliba and Leandro Trossard will all be assessed before determining if they can face Wolves on Saturday.

Wolves are rock-bottom in the Premier League having picked up just two points all season and when asked how to guard against complacency, Arteta said: “By understanding that a team in that position has to react and show their teeth. |That’s a dangerous thing in this league and when every team has the quality they have. So [being complacent] is not going to happen.”

KOLKATA: Lionel Messi will unveil a 21-metre (70-foot) statue of himself in India on Saturday as he embarks on a three-day tour of the country that has sparked a fan frenzy.

The iron sculpture in Kolkata, which shows Messi holding aloft the World Cup, is part of a so-called GOAT Tour that will take in four Indian cities and a possible meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The 38-year-old Argentina and Inter Miami superstar will unveil the monument virtually rather than in person for security reasons.

A “Hola Messi” fan zone has also been set up in Kolkata where on display is a life-sized replica of Messi sat on a throne.

The hall also recreates his Miami home, complete with mannequins of his family members.

Football fan Samir Nandy said it would be “a dream come true” to catch a glimpse of his idol.

“Legends are not made by success alone. It is his resilience that made me believe in him,” Nandy, 64, said in Kolkata.

“The statue is a fitting tribute to him.”

Monty Paul, the statue’s main sculptor, told AFP the structure was built inside 40 days.

“It’s a matter of pride to build the sculpture of Messi. It’s the tallest statue I have made,” he said.

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner will also meet Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan and former India cricket captain Saurav Ganguly during his whirlwind trip to Kolkata.

Ahead of his arrival, Messi said it was an honour to visit India and interact with the fans.

“India is a very special country and I have good memories from my time there 14 years ago — the fans were fantastic,” Messi said in an official statement.

“India is a passionate football nation and I look forward to meeting a new generation of fans while sharing the love I have for this beautiful game.”

After Kolkata, where Messi will play a short friendly match, he will head to Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi.

In Hyderabad he will attend a concert in his honour and play another friendly.

He is reportedly scheduled to meet Modi in the capital.

Messi won his second consecutive Major League Soccer Most Valuable Player award this week after propelling Inter Miami to the MLS title and leading the league in goals.

The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain attacker will spearhead Argentina’s defence of the World Cup in June-July in North America.

It was a hard-fought NFC South matchup between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night, and the latter wanted to play spoiler.

The Falcons, who were eliminated from the playoffs last week, made it harder for the Bucs to win the division after a walk-off field goal by Zane Gonzalez in a 29-28 victory.

Tampa Bay is now 7-7 on the year, having lost their last two games, while the Falcons are 5-9.

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One of the big storylines coming into the game was the return of veteran receiver Mike Evans, who had been sidelined since Week 4 with a collarbone injury.

While many wondered if the Bucs would have him on a snap count, it didn’t seem that way as quarterback Baker Mayfield loved getting him the ball in this one. Evans finished with 132 yards on just six catches to lead the way for the Bucs in the pass game.

However, Evans’ impressive performance was nothing compared to Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts, who had a career game on “Thursday Night Football.” In the absence of star receiver Drake London, Pitts became Kirk Cousins’ favorite target on the night.

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The 6-foot-6 tight end had three touchdown catches and 166 yards on 11 catches, as he and Cousins found a quick connection early and it came in clutch late in the game.

After Mayfield was picked off by Dee Alford in a 28-20 game, Cousins and the Falcons’ offense had the opportunity to march down the field and tie the game, granted they scored a touchdown and had a successful two-point conversion.

Cousins, having found Pitts twice before, lofted a pass to his trusty tight end, who secured it and managed to stay in bounds for his third score of the night. Video review was needed to determine if he stayed in bounds, and while it appeared his elbow was out, his backside hit the turf in bounds at the same moment. With officials calling a touchdown initially, it was insufficient evidence to overturn the score.

Kirk Cousins of the Atlanta Falcons warms up prior to a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on Dec. 11, 2025 in Tampa, Florida. (Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)

But the Bucs were still up two, needing a big stop on the two-point play. They got just that, as Cousins was hurried and the pass went incomplete.

Mayfield, who had two touchdown passes in this game to Chris Godwin and Devin Culp, knew they could ice the game with a few first downs on the ensuing drive. But backed up on third-and-14, Mayfield was sacked at the two-minute warning.

Cousins didn’t have any timeouts to work with after getting the ball back, and it was an inauspicious start to the drive when he was strip-sacked and the game could’ve been over right then and there.

But the ruling was both the Bucs and Falcons had the ball, meaning the tie goes to the team who was on offense. That still set Cousins back to second-and-18, which turned into second-and-28 on a holding penalty that was accepted after an incompletion.

Cousins, though, used Pitts and David Sills V to get the yardage needed to keep the drive alive. The Falcons were in field goal range for Gonzalez, who eventually buried the 43-yarder for the win.

The Bucs were up 28-14 heading into the fourth quarter, but a defensive breakdown at the worst time cost them in the end.

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In the box score, Cousins was phenomenal in primetime, passing for 373 yards with his three connections to Pitts.

And we can’t forget about Bijan Robinson, the league-leader in scrimmage yards who totaled 175 (93 rushing, 82 receiving) on 27 total touches for Atlanta.

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