According to various reports doing the rounds this afternoon, Arsenal are confident Kai Havertz will have a role to play in the run-in, although the German is likely to miss this week’s games against Atletico Madrid and Fulham.
The striker went down in the first half of Saturday’s 1-0 win over Newcastle and, after being substituted, headed straight down the tunnel.
It has been a stop-start season for Havertz. He underwent surgery in August after suffering a knee injury on the opening weekend, then picked up a muscular problem in mid-February not long after his return. He has since proved very useful, featuring in every game since the 3-2 win over Kairat later that month, although getting him on the pitch at the same time as Eberechi Eze, Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka hasn’t yet been possible.
Arsenal have a minimum of six games left this season, and possibly a seventh if they can beat Atletico Madrid to secure a place in the Champions League final.
As things stand, Havertz, along with Jurrien Timber and Mikel Merino, are the main injury concerns. Tomorrow’s open training session should also reveal whether Eze was right to play down the issue that forced him off at the weekend. The England international said the decision to go off in the second half was precautionary.
There is not a lot else going on at the moment, aside from some daft quotes out of Marseille, where Ethan Nwaneri has been criticised by manager Habib Beye.
The 19-year-old moved to the Stade Velodrome on loan in January with a view to playing more football, but has not started a game since early February. He was an unused substitute at the weekend for the fourth time amid rumours that the more he plays, the more the Ligue 1 side will have to pay Arsenal for his services.
Beye is quoted as saying: “He’s a quality player. But he has to show us a lot more in his everyday commitment. Other players have shown a lot more.”
Marseille are currently languishing in sixth place with three games remaining. No doubt, Ethan will be looking forward to a return to London, where the club needs to ask some serious questions about the decision to send him to such a volatile environment.