Kai Havertz has just been confirmed to have suffered a hamstring injury during a training camp in Dubai, UAE. David Ornstein of The Athletic confirmed that the German striker will be out for the rest of the season. When he returns, Havertz will be training for the 2025-2026 season.
The 25-year-old's absence for the rest of the season has added to Arsenal's striker woes. The Gunners' attack is in tatters, with Bukayo Saka not expected to return until the end of March. The England international travelled to Dubai with the team but only to rehabilitate from a hamstring injury he suffered in December.
Meanwhile, Gabriel Martinelli is not expected to return for another month after suffering a similar injury against Newcastle, while Brazilian striker Gabriel Jesus has suffered an ACL injury and is still a long way from returning.
Kai Havertz has been a regular for Arsenal this season, scoring 15 goals and providing five assists in 34 appearances across all competitions. During the winter transfer window, the Emirates Stadium club targeted Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins but the deal fell through in the final days. The Gunners have since decided to spend money on targets this summer.
This season, not only the attack, Arsenal also has countless injuries in other lines. Cases that have been out for a long time are Ben White, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Riccardo Calafiori, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Mikel Merino and Martin Odegaard. Currently, Arsenal is ranked 2nd in the Premier League, 6 points behind Liverpool and has played 1 more match. The upcoming schedule of the "Gunners" is not too easy when the opponents are Leicester, West Ham and especially Nottingham in March.
Kai Havertz's injury leaves Arsenal with just three strikers: Leandro Trossard, Ethan Nwaneri and Raheem Sterling. Mikel Arteta is not one to change, and he has stuck with the 4-3-3 formation. If he follows this pattern, Trossard will play centre forward, Sterling will play left wing and Nwaneri will take the other wing.
Trossard played as a centre-forward when he was at Brighton. At Arsenal, he played alongside Havertz in a 4-4-2 formation. In the first half of the Belgian's first season, he provided six assists in six games as a centre-forward.
If we had to look beyond the three names above, it would be Kieran Tierney. In some games, he has come off the bench and played on the left wing, which can also make a difference. In some last-minute situations, when goals are needed, Mikel Merino's height can be an effective solution.
Arsenal will play seven games before FIFA Days in March, three of which will be midweek. Rotation is necessary to avoid further injuries. However, with such a thin squad, Arsenal will need to make a big effort to maintain their lead over Liverpool and hope for a miracle in the Champions League.
