Kai Havertz’s season-ending injury is a “big blow” to Arsenal and it will test their mettle once again after the club navigated through several injuries this season to sit second in the Premier League, manager Mikel Arteta said on Friday.
Havertz will undergo surgery on a hamstring injury and the club confirmed his recovery and rehabilitation would extend into pre-season preparations for the next season.
Havertz, Arsenal’s top scorer this season, joins a list of forwards who are out injured, including Gabriel Jesus (anterior cruciate ligament), Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli (both hamstring).
The injuries leave Arsenal with only Leandro Trossard, Chelsea loanee Raheem Sterling, and academy product Ethan Nwaneri options in attack.
“We were having a great camp in Dubai, recharging and training… Then the injury happened in an unexpected way, it’s a big blow because of injuries, we have. But fortunately, we’ve been through a lot this season,” Arteta told reporters.
“We have played without (William) Saliba, without Ben White, (Takehiro) Tomiyasu all season, (Riccardo) Calafiori for two months, Mikel Merino for two months, Martin Odegaard for two months, Saka for three months, Gabriel Jesus… all of them.
“Let’s see what the team is made of… Any team in this league loses four players in the frontline like that and I know what the answer will be.”
While Martinelli is expected to be sidelined for a month, Saka has returned to training after an operation on a hamstring injury but Arteta is not tempted to rush back the 23-year-old who is still in the early stages of his rehabilitation.
“It’s too early… When he’s closer, doing more workload, we will see how he is,” Arteta said.
Although 17-year-old Nwaneri has stepped up to take Saka’s place on the right wing, scoring seven goals in all competitions, Arteta said he is not yet ready to play as a striker.
“It’s a question of when, he has the right qualities, to play out wide or centrally. We must adapt to the strengths of our players,” he said.
JANUARY REGRETS
Arsenal did not sign any reinforcements in January when Jesus and Saka were out injured, a decision that may come back to haunt them in the title race.
“We always knew that we were an injury or two away from a very risky situation,” Arteta said.
“When you try your best and you think you’ve done everything you are capable of and you have done your homework and try that and you don’t achieve it, you can have regrets.”
Arteta can take solace in the fact that Saturday’s opponents Leicester City have not kept a clean sheet in their last 17 Premier League matches, with Ruud van Nistelrooy’s side 18th in the standings.
Arsenal are seven points behind league leaders Liverpool after the midweek Merseyside derby ended in a draw.
“When the gap becomes a little bit shorter than you expected, it’s always really positive and you need that,” Arteta said.
“At the end, it’s about generating momentum and the next few weeks are going to be critical as well, to understand – after the international break – where we are with six or seven weeks to go in the season.”
–Reuters
