Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed that forward Kai Havertz won’t return to action for several weeks.
Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann had claimed last month that the 26-year-old had suffered a “minor relapse” in his recovery from a knee injury.
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Arteta seemed to contradict that remark in the build-up to the Chelsea fixture, but speaking ahead of the match against Brentford on Wednesday night, Arteta said:
“[He will be back in] a matter of weeks. Let’s see how he evolves in the next few weeks. He is doing really well, he is doing stuff on the pitch, but I think he needs some time.”
Havertz has played once this season
It has not been a particularly happy campaign for the German international. He came on as a substitute during the opening day win over Manchester United back in August.
However, it was confirmed shortly after the match at Old Trafford that Havertz required surgery. No time frame was given for when he would return, but he has now been on the treatment table for three and a half months. It appears his comeback will be delayed until the start of the New Year.
Other Arsenal injury news
Arteta was less than forthcoming on the status of other injured players. William Saliba missed the Chelsea match with a knock. Leandro Trossard was another notable absentee. The Belgian was forced off during the first half of the 3-1 win over Bayern Munich last week.
Neither are expected to be out for the long term, with Arteta predicting that the pair should recover full fitness in a “matter of days”, but that does leave it up to interpretation whether they will be fit to face either Brentford or Aston Villa.
Like Havertz, Gabriel is not expected to be available in the short term. He is continuing to undergo rehabilitation on the adductor injury he sustained on international duty.
Read more about the Arsenal First Team Squad for 2025/26 here