Gabriel Jesus’ recovery from injury hasn’t been so boring for the player over the past few days. Thanks to Manchester City, the striker has recently travelled to the United States to attend events at New York City FC, and seems to be enjoying watching NBA games and meeting players such as Andrea Pirlo.
Jesus was interviewed by Brazil’s SporTV on Thursday, and spoke a little about his treatment, and adaption to life in England.
Reporter Joanna De Assis said it was good to see him getting to the interview by walking, but the player was quick to correct her: “No, not walking. Walking with crutches, supporting the foot. Otherwise, the physiotherapist will tell me that I’m without the crutch (laughs)”
“It’s good. Thank God, the effort, not just mine, but from all the physiotherapists in Manchester, doctors and everyone. It was not easy for me. It’s my first injury. Not muscle injury, but it’s the first time something happens that leaves me out of games. So it was not easy. But I saw that, of course, no one wants this to happen, but it could be worse. So we operated soon, I decided to operate and give it time.”
Questioned if it will be possible to get back sooner for Manchester City than expected, Gabriel Jesus explained he hasn’t got a return date: “I wish. It’s well advanced. I don’t know, I have no return prediction. But I hope I can still play some games this season.”
The Manchester City player was then asked how he’s dealing the language difference in England, given that he still can’t speak English: “We find a way. In the matter of communicating with the players, we find a way. If I don’t have Fernandinho or Fernando there, I’ll find a way. Mimicry. And some things I understand, but I can’t speak it.”
“It’s more about the time. It depends on what they tell me. All the Guardiola speeches are in English. When Fernandinho or Fernando are by my side, they tell me. But when they are not, I understand something. But just by the way he shows, the way that Guardiola speaks, you can understand. He’s a guy who I used to be a fan of before, and now I’m even more so. For the person who he is, he impressed me a lot. It was one of the factors that counted for me to go to Manchester City.
“By the time I decided to go, everyone said it was going to be difficult. Because at age 19, living in a city that has nothing to do with São Paulo, where I was born and raised… especially in the Jardim Peri, where I am from, where practically every day is a day of party. It’s difficult, it was not easy. But I have nothing to complain about.”
Although he managed to visit some nice places in New York, there’s still one more thing he wants to do there.
“I’ll be honest now, very honest. I wanted to go to Chris Brown’s concert. But I’d want to dance, and I can’t stay stood up!”
