Mikel Arteta says Arsenal’s strengthened squad can handle further injury setbacks after confirming Kai Havertz will be out for a few more weeks. The striker, sidelined since August following knee surgery, was expected back earlier this month but struggled to progress in his rehabilitation.
Arteta must now decide whether to persist with Mikel Merino as a temporary striker for Wednesday’s match against Brentford or turn to Viktor Gyökeres, who recently returned from a muscle injury. Gabriel Jesus is also pushing for a comeback after nearly a year out.
Defensive concerns continue as William Saliba and Leandro Trossard remain doubts. Summer signings Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapié are likely to start again after featuring against Chelsea. Arteta believes Arsenal’s £250m summer investment has made the squad “more reliable” and better equipped to cope with injuries across the pitch.
“We learned from the past,” Arteta said, noting the need for players to adapt to multiple positions as Merino has done.
Havertz’s setback was first mentioned by Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann. Arteta added that the forward “could not go to the next level” in training but now appears to be making progress. He praised Havertz’s character and said his return would provide a “massive boost” for the league leaders.
