**Kai Havertz**has suffered another knee injury only days after the first Premier League matchday.
**Arsenal**scraped their way to a 1-0 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford, but injury news has rocked the camp. An open training session saw Havertz and **Ben White**absent from the action as the Gunners are getting ready to host Leeds United for their first home fixture of the 2025/26 season.
**Mikel Arteta**had given the green light to **Viktor Gyökeres**as the number nine on the weekend before the German came on for him as the central forward to see out the lead in the final half hour.
But the Spaniard, fresh from an injury-hit campaign, must be praying this issue is not too serious.
Will lessons be learned from old injury woes?
**Arsenal**have seen this story before, and they know that this tale does not end well for the group.
The problems began last season with an ankle sprain for Martin Ødegaard, but truly began to pile up in the frontline with a Grade 3 hamstring tear for Bukayo Saka against Crystal Palace in December.
The talismanic right winger was a massive miss, with the club captain dropping off in form partially thanks to the absence of his running mate. Worse news was to come in January when Gabriel Jesus suffered an ACL injury in the third round of the **FA Cup**that put an end to his hot scoring streak.
Ollie Watkins was linked with the Gunners, but the board tightened the purse strings. They paid the price not even a week after the winter window shut, as Gabriel Martinelli was the next to pick up a hamstring injury, adding injury to insult in a 2-0 loss to Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup.
A blocked shot in the Dubai training camp saw Havertz's hamstring need surgery. **Mikel Merino**emerged as a makeshift nine, while Ethan Nwaneri showed promise from the right wing, but title hopes were dead, and the impact of the load on a stretched squad was a sobering lesson for Arsenal.
The scars of the last season still show with the squad. Saka has been battling through body blows for his best form for a long time, and the 7" mark on his hamstring will be a constant reminder of what he has to sacrifice. Jesus is out of action, and in some circles, Ødegaard has a point to prove once more.
However, the squad that ended the old season would not be able to respond alone. The addition of game-breaking, top-end talent was a must for fans in the transfer window, but of equal importance was a roster with the depth to protect their talisman and the men who have earned the most minutes.
How have Arsenal reacted? What is to come?
As far as the role of the number nine goes, the absence of Havertz should not hurt the squad like it did at the start of the year. Their Swedish striker is still settling in from Sporting, and awaits his first shot in the Premier League, but if he is worth his £64 million fee, he should have the chops to deliver.
Arteta also knows that he can call on the services of Merino to act as a stopgap solution. The Spaniard scored five times in the league after he started to operate as a central forward, excelled against Real Madrid in both legs of their **Champions League**victory, and has proven to be a deft aerial presence.
On top of all that, there is the news that Leandro Trossard has agreed on a pay rise with the club on a contract that will still last until 2027. This update has dispelled the rumours that the Belgian might have been leaving this summer, and he has filled in as their central forward many times before.
But as **Arsenal**pulled the trigger with Trossard, it seems they have shut the door on other additions.
Trossard has mainly fought for minutes on the left flank with Martinelli. Neither of the men mimic what Saka gives on the right, and supporters saw an upgrade in this role as a way to improve.
**Noni Madueke**arrived last month for a fee of up to £52 million, offering backup for Saka on the right but also a different dynamic from the left. As a key squad member, the transfer is more satisfactory.
However, for that sum of money, fans are well within their rights to wonder if the club could have chosen someone else. Now, it looks likely that Madueke is their only new option as a left winger.
Eberechi Eze is close to signing for Tottenham Hotspur, and an alternative is not in the pipeline.
The closer that the club have come to glory, **Arsenal**have been more guilty of asking players to perform roles beyond what is reasonable. An injury to Havertz, himself a much-maligned arrival in 2023, puts all the pressure on the two main arrivals in the attack. We will see how they handle the pressure.