According to David Ornstein of The Athletic, Havertz is set for a spell on the sidelines after suffering the issue and is now undergoing assessments to determine the extent of the injury. Given these are still at an early stage, the prognosis and how long he will be out for is still unclear.
The 26-year-old German missed an opening training session at the Emirates on Wednesday morning and his absence means the Gunners will now re-enter the transfer market as they actively explore their options to strengthen the attack and provide cover.
Boss Mikel Arteta wants a left winger as competition for Gabriel Martinelli, although already reportedly had to sell before the club is able to buy. The need for a striker now just adds a further wrinkle.
Havertz came off the bench on 60 minutes during Sunday’s Premier League opening 1-0 win over Manchester United to replace new signing Viktor Gyokeres, who is still getting fully up to speed with life at the Emirates.
However, the Swedish international is now the only fully fit and available striker for Arteta, with Gabriel Jesus still recovering from the ACL injury he picked up back in January and not expected to be ready for match action for some time.
Winger Leandro Trossard has previously featured as a No 9, and could be an option after recently signing a new contract, while central midfielder Mikel Merino filled in as emergency cover up front for a spell last season when Arsenal ran out of viable forwards.
That Merino stint at No 9 partly came due to a previous Havertz injury, when he tore his hamstring during a warm-weather training camp in Dubai in February. He went on to miss 18 matches before returning as a substitute for the final couple of games of the season.
The German international has scored 29 goals for the Gunners since joining from Chelsea in the summer of 2023 and his absence will put even more pressure on Gyokeres to quickly adapt to life in the Premier League and prove he can be a prolific goalscorer for a title-chasing team.
After the largely unconvincing 1-0 win over Man United, Arsenal next host newly-promoted Leeds on Saturday aiming to avoid any early-season slip-ups as they try to wrest the Premier League trophy out of Liverpool’s grasp this year.
Real Madrid's Rodrygo could be on his way to Arsenal.
Meanwhile, Arsenal fans believe Real Madrid have dropped the biggest hint yet that Rodrygo will be allowed to leave this summer.
After playing a bit-part role at the Club World Cup, Rodrygo’s future has been called into question once again following Los Blancos’ opening La Liga fixture of the new season.
The Brazilian was named among the substitutes on Tuesday night as Real Madrid beat Osasuna 1-0 thanks to Kylian Mbappe’s penalty. Brahim Diaz started on the right with Vinicius Junior completing the front three.
Significantly new Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso turned to summer signing Franco Mastantuono and youngster Gonzalo Garcia in the second half which meant Rodryo did not play a single minute.
However, Alonso insists the decision was purely tactical.
He said: “These are match decisions. The way the match was going, we needed another profile. There have been no decisions for the future.
“Nothing is going on. The Club World Cup was a different context because of the competition it was. Today it's just one game, we can leave the rest behind.
“What counts is this season and of course I'm counting on Rodrygo. It's just one game, we shouldn't read too far into the future.
“If he gets those minutes in three months' time, I'll be able to answer you with more certainty. Today it was just the circumstances of the game and my decisions.”
Despite Alonso’s comments, some Gunners supporters are taking Rodrygo’s latest snub as a positive sign.
It has been reported by Spanish outlet Cadena SER that Madrid have told the 24-year-old he can leave this summer, with an asking price set at £76.8million (€90million).
Arsenal could face strong competition from Manchester City as well as Liverpool for Rodrygo’s signature as their Premier League rivals are also on the market to bolster their respective attacks.
However, with the latest Havertz injury Arsenal will be forced to prioritise a new striker before the window closes.