The resurrection of Gabriel Jesus?

For the vast majority of the core players, pre-season is largely a tuning up exercise. For example, players like Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice’s seasons are unlikely to be defined by what they do during pre-season friendlies- not least because in the case of Saka and Rice, they will have truncated pre-seasons anyway.

However, for some players, pre-season can really set the tone for what is to come. This often happens for young players who enjoy a breakthrough. When Gabriel...