Barcelona fans won’t have to wait long to see the debut of their new signing as Brazilian forward Gabriel Jesus is in contention to make his debut against Valencia at Mestalla on Sunday.
Hansi Flick spoke to the press on Saturday and confirmed that Jesus is not fully fit and can’t play big minutes yet but there’s a good chance he could make a cameo in the second half, and the coach is excited about what Jesus can bring to the team based on his work in training.
“I’ve enjoyed watching him, what I’ve seen.
He’s not at 100% yet, but he could get some playing time in the second half. He’s ready. I like how I’ve seen him, with the ball, he stays calm in front of goal.”
The expectations for Jesus are those of a squad player who can offer quality backup minutes for Raphinha up front and maintain the same level of activity and quality with and without the ball. He was a very complete forward at his peak with Man City and Arsenal, and the Barça environment will certainly allow him to explore his best qualities.
The only question is his fitness, but he’s certainly good enough to be a quality addition to the team.
