Arsenal have fresh injury concerns ahead of their clashes with Brentford and Tottenham, which could impact Mikel Arteta’s Premier League title bid.
Mikel Arteta has new injury problems at Arsenal (Image: (Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images))
Arsenal have been hit with another injury problem, with Kai Havertz set to be sidelined with a muscular problem, with a series of important matches looming.
According to The Athletic, the German forward will miss the north London derby against Tottenham, as well as games against Brentford, Wolves and Wigan. This is a new concern for Havertz, who was sidelined for much of the first half of the season with a knee injury.
The first problem was discovered in the early game against Manchester United and required treatment to help the 26-year-old return to peak fitness. His eventual return strengthened the attacking options at Mikel Arteta’s disposal, which is likely to be disrupted once again.
Arteta was forced to rely on Victor Gokeres at the start of the season as Gabriel Jesus recovered from a knee injury, and Havertz’s absence was a further blow. Questions persist over his suitability for the Premier League at Arsenal, but the striker has since been helped by the recent return of his team-mate.
read more: 10 players likely to miss Brentford vs. Arsenal game as Bukayo Saka hints at return from injuryread more: Erling Haaland scores again for Man City as Fulham cruise to put pressure on Arsenal
Havertz has started just three league games this season, starting the last two games against Leeds United and Sunderland. He recorded an assist in the final game, giving rise to optimism that he can step up in the team and show the quality he has shown since joining the club.
This put him in a deep midfield position and allowed Jokeles to move freely up front, where he scored two goals for the Gunners against Sunderland. Explaining his choice to use Havertz in that role, Arteta said: “Well, I think it was also the kind of game we expected, the way they played and the kind of threat we wanted to create with him and Gabby, the three central defenders and around them.”
“Yes, yes, we have completely different qualities than Kai, Martin, Ebbs and other attacking midfielders, so we have to use them.”
Follow the Arsenal FB page! For the latest Gunners news and details, visit our dedicated Facebook page.
However, for the time being, it looks like Havertz will not be able to replace Arteta in all competitions over the next few weeks. It marks a setback on the eve of Arsenal’s league match against Brentford, a game that will be crucial to how the title race develops.
Manchester City’s dramatic win over Liverpool and victory over Fulham narrowed the gap at the top of the table to just three points. Arsenal have a chance to extend their advantage to six points before next week’s game against Wolves and the north London derby against Tottenham.
Arsenal forward Kai Havertz suffers another injury setback (Image: (Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images))
All three games are a chance for the Gunners to continue their momentum at the top, but they will need to be at their attacking best to achieve this. In between all of that is an FA Cup clash with League One side Wigan Athletic, which could see Arteta narrowly rotated.
Havertz joins an injured list that includes several key stars whose future title race fights are uncertain. Mikel Merino has broken a bone in his foot and is likely to be out for some time, but surgery has now been completed and the recovery process has begun.
Max Daumann is close to returning after several months out with an ankle injury, but he is not quite ready yet. There are also question marks over Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Leandro Trossard, who have been suspected of minor injuries in recent weeks.
Please bring back the mirror! Keep the latest headlines at the top of Google Search
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive Mirror Football content every day. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can always check out. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
