Arsenal’s campaign has been dealt a devastating blow as star forward Kai Havertz faces an indefinite spell on the sidelines due to a knee injury sustained during a substitute appearance against Manchester United on the opening weekend of the Premier League. The 26-year-old German international, a pivotal figure in Mikel Arteta’s attacking setup, will miss Arsenal’s crucial showdown against Liverpool at Anfield this Sunday, as well as Germany’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Slovakia and Northern Ireland next month.
The injury, which kept Havertz out of Arsenal’s emphatic 5-0 victory over Leeds, has sparked serious concern at the Emirates. Arteta, speaking after the Leeds match, revealed the club is still assessing the extent of the damage. “We’re not sure how serious it is,” Arteta said. “We’ll conduct more tests to explore the issue further and decide what we’re going to do.” Meanwhile, Rudi Völler, the men’s national team director at the German football federation, confirmed Havertz’s absence from the international stage and hinted at the possibility of surgery. “He certainly won’t make it, he has a knee injury,” Völler stated. “We don’t know exactly how it will go in the coming weeks, whether surgery is upcoming or it will be treated conservatively.”
Havertz’s injury history adds to the growing anxiety. The versatile forward was sidelined for over three months last season—from early February to mid-May—due to a hamstring tear sustained during a training camp in Dubai. Fears of another lengthy layoff have prompted Arsenal to act swiftly in the transfer market, culminating in the £67.5m signing of Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace. Eze, who could make his debut against Liverpool, is expected to help fill the void left by Havertz’s absence.
The injury crisis at Arsenal doesn’t end with Havertz. Bukayo Saka, the team’s dynamic winger, is also set to miss the Liverpool clash and England’s World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia after sustaining a hamstring injury against Leeds. Fortunately, Saka’s injury is less severe than initially feared, with a recovery timeline of approximately three to four weeks. Meanwhile, captain Martin Ødegaard is a doubt for the Anfield trip after injuring his shoulder but has still been called up by Norway for their World Cup qualifiers against Finland and Moldova.
As Arsenal grapple with this mounting injury list, Arteta faces further challenges in the transfer market. The club’s interest in Bayer Leverkusen’s versatile defender Piero Hincapié, who carries a €60m (£52m) release clause, is contingent on offloading fringe players before the transfer window closes on Monday. Porto have tabled a loan offer for Jakub Kiwior with an obligation to buy for €25m (£21.5m), and the Polish defender appears keen to leave the Premier League despite interest from English clubs. Porto have also shown interest in Oleksandr Zinchenko, while Fábio Vieira and Reiss Nelson could depart in the coming days as Arsenal look to balance their books after spending £250m this summer.
With key players sidelined and the transfer window nearing its close, Arteta’s nightmare scenario is unfolding at a critical juncture. Arsenal’s title aspirations and their ability to navigate this brutal international break twist will hinge on the squad’s depth, new signings like Eze, and Arteta’s tactical acumen in the face of adversity.