[Arsenal](https://goonernews.com/) star forward Kai Havertz has been out since mid August with a knee injury that required surgery, and while the Gunners are first in the Premier League and pretty clear title favorites at this point, historically, this club has learned to never take an early lead over the likes of Manchester City for granted.
A weakened Liverpool – and even a Man City that is not as strong as they used to be – gives Arsenal more breathing space than usual in the Premier League, but an all hands on deck approach is preferred, especially for an attack that is the weak link of this deep and talented young squad.
So it is, then, great news for Arsenal fans that shortly after striker Gabriel Jesus’s return to fortify the depth behind Viktor Gyokeres, another possible center forward option is returning in the technically gifted Kai Havertz.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta told fans before the Premier League weekend of fixtures that Havertz’s time table for a return is no longer on the scale of weeks but rather a “matter of days”.
Arteta said, “It will be a matter of days, not weeks. Let’s see in the next steps how he responds to that. Kai is a player that we missed a lot, a player that brings the team into a different dimension”.
Havertz is indeed a player Arsenal have missed, and while he can be streaky, he is legitimately one of the best players in the Premier League when he gets on a hot streak and is no worse than an average starting forward (or Gyokeres) when he goes cold.
The German international is entering the prime of his career at 26 years old and scored nine goals with three assists last Premier League season. If it is only a matter of days before he returns, he could potentially be in play for a substitute appearance against sudden title threats Aston Villa on Dec. 30, but it is more likely for Bournemouth in a week on Jan. 3 to be the return date.
Joe Soriano is the editor of _The Trivela Effect_ and a FanSided Hall of Famer who has covered world football since 2010. He’s led top digital communities like _The Real Champs_ (Real Madrid) and has run sites covering Tottenham, Liverpool, Juventus, and Schalke. He also helped manage _NFL Spin Zone_ and _Daily DDT,_ covering the NFL and pro wrestling.