Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann has revealed that Arsenal forward Kai Havertz has had a “minor relapse” in his recovery from knee surgery.
It was hoped that the 26-year-old would be available soon after the international break, but Nagelsmann says he will now make his return “towards the end of the (calendar) year.”
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That suggests Havertz’s comeback has been delayed by at least a month, and fans on X are not best pleased:
Mid November to end December. That’s doesn’t sound like minor to me.
— Wilson Rice (@WilsonRiceMcNab) November 18, 2025
Who is cursing @Arsenal .Pain in the Arsenal again😌
— Owen Romeo Katabarwa 🇺🇬 (@owen_katabarwa) November 18, 2025
Whaaaaa!!?
— King Arsenal The 1st (@KingTera8) November 18, 2025
This many injuries is not normal. Arteta must be overtraining them.
— Barcenal (@kingofdagooners) November 18, 2025
We need a complete overhaul of medical staff at this club
— FRANQ🌻 (@The_weird_kiid) November 18, 2025
Injuries eating deep into our squad depth
— big coco ✨💫 (@Iyalodeee) November 18, 2025
🫣 this is worse than the Gabriel news, I thought he was back
— Seahawk Gooner (@sambo593) November 18, 2025
Havertz has been sidelined for longer than hoped
The German international underwent an operation almost directly after the opening day win over Manchester United back in August.
At the time, it was suggested that Havertz would not be out for the long term, with manager Mikel Arteta hinting that the player’s ability to recover quickly had him optimistic of an earlier-than-expected return.
However, it appears that the player could well be on the treatment table for the best part of four and a half months.
How many more fixtures could the Arsenal star miss?
Due to the packed schedule, the Gunners have no fewer than 11 games between now and the Aston Villa (h) match on December 30th.
There are 3 fixtures before the end of November – Tottenham (h), Bayern Munich (h) and Chelsea (a) – and another 8 next month – Brentford (h), Aston Villa (a), Club Brugge (a), Wolves (h), Everton (a), Crystal Palace (h) and Brighton (h).
Read more about the Arsenal First Team Squad for 2025/26 here