Havertz suffered a hamstring injury while Arsenal were training in Dubai, UAE. According to Sky Sports and The Atlantic, the Arsenal striker is at risk of missing out for the rest of the season. That means Arsenal have lost all their best strikers, as the team tries to close the gap on Liverpool in the Premier League.
Kai Havertz has returned to London with some members of the Arsenal squad. The German striker will undergo further tests to assess the exact extent of the injury. Coach Mikel Arteta will provide an exact update on Kai Havertz's situation at his press conference ahead of the match against Leicester City.
Before Havertz, Arsenal lost striker Gabriel Jesus for the rest of the season, after he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in the FA Cup defeat to Man United.
Winger Martinelli will also be sidelined for the time being, having suffered a hamstring injury in the defeat to Newcastle in the second leg of the English League Cup semi-final.
Arsenal's most important player, Bukayo Saka, has also been out of action since December 21, 2024, due to a hamstring injury. Saka has returned to training with Arsenal in Dubai, but he will not be able to return to action until March.
Saka, Havertz and Martinelli are Arsenal's regular starting three. Their absence will put Arsenal in a difficult position in both the Premier League and Champions League.
In the last transfer window, coach Arteta was keen to add a striker. However, the offer for Ollie Watkins was rejected by Aston Villa.
This season, Kai Havertz has played 34 matches, scoring 15 goals and providing 5 assists. In the Premier League, the German striker has contributed 12 goals (9 goals, 3 assists) after 21 appearances. Havertz's form is not outstanding, but he is still the best striker Arsenal has. In the recent 5-1 win over Man City, he had 1 goal and 1 assist.
With Havertz likely to miss the rest of the season and the other players yet to return, Arsenal will rely on their remaining strikers Leandro Trossard, Nwaneri and Sterling. However, these players all have limitations, from poor form (Sterling), to being young, inexperienced (Nwaneri) or having a knack for playing on the wing (Trossard).
Arsenal will have two easy matches against Leicester City and West Ham. But after that, they will face strong teams such as Nottingham Forest, Man United and Chelsea. If they do not get good results in these matches, Arsenal will find it difficult to compete with Liverpool for the championship, and they are even at risk of falling out of the Top 4.
