Mikel Arteta says Arsenal are well equipped to handle more injury setbacks after confirming Kai Havertz will be out for a few more weeks. The German forward, sidelined since August after knee surgery, suffered a setback when he tried to increase his training intensity and failed to progress to “the next level.”
With Havertz unavailable, Arteta must decide whether to continue using Mikel Merino as a makeshift 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 involvement after 11 months out.
Arsenal may again be without William Saliba and Leandro Trossard, meaning summer signings Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapié are likely to start in central defence. Arteta said the club’s significant summer investment has created “a much more reliable” squad capable of coping with absences across the pitch.
He also expressed strong support for Havertz, noting how unusual it is for the forward to miss games and how much the player is suffering mentally from the layoff. Arteta expects Havertz’s eventual return to provide a major boost for the league leaders.
