Arsenal forward Kai Havertz has been sidelined for several weeks with a knee injury, and it looks like the Germany international will have to wait a little longer before returning to the pitch.
Arsenal’s injury crisis deepens further with forward Kai Havertz dealing another blow to the Gunners. The Germany international has battled fitness issues throughout the past year after being sidelined for a significant portion of last season due to a serious hamstring problem.
The aim of the season was for Havertz to compete with Victor Gokeres for the central striker position, but although Premier League leaders Arsenal coped admirably in Havertz’s absence, a knee problem early in the season kept him out of contention in recent months.
The forward was expected to return shortly after the November international break, which would be perfect timing for the Gunners.
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Gokeres’ injury and Gabriel Jesus’ long-term knee problems have led Mikel Arteta to turn to Mikel Merino as his main centre-forward option ahead of World Cup qualifiers, but the pair will continue to be assessed in light of their respective injuries, football.london reports.
Havertz could have provided a solution to that dilemma, but Arsenal’s star player appears to be facing a long-term absence.
This came after German coach Julian Nagelsmann revealed another setback for the 26-year-old player.
“Kai (Havertz) experienced a mild relapse, but overall he is doing well,” he said at a recent press conference. Nagelsmann went on to say there was hope that Havertz would return “towards the end of the calendar year”.
Havertz was unable to regain full fitness in time to represent his country in the latest World Cup qualifiers, where Germany had secured a spot in next summer’s tournament.
Nagelsmann cheered for Havertz and other injured stars, saying they have plenty of time to recover as their next international break is until March.
However, this is a more pressing concern for Arsenal as Arteta and his team face important games in the Premier League, Champions League and Carabao Cup.
The Gunners are back in action on Sunday, facing Tottenham Hotspur in a north London derby amid some selection dilemmas.
Gabriel Magalhães is expected to miss out, with the BBC suggesting the defender could be out for a month or two with an adductor injury.
This is coupled with uncertainty regarding Noni Madueke, Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli, and Gokeres and Jesus.
Arsenal have increased their squad depth after a busy summer transfer window, but this will reach its limit in the coming weeks.
If the Gunners can get through games against Tottenham, Bayern Munich and Chelsea, they will be able to press into an advantageous position.
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