The games Kai Havertz will miss as Arsenal star suffers latest injury | Football

Arsenal have suffered a brand new injury blow with Kai Havertz set for a spell out of the team with a muscular injury.

Havertz missed most of last season through injury but returned to motion last month, featuring in Arsenal’s last 4 games.

Mikel Arteta has repeatedly emphasised Havertz’s importance to the team and the German has made an easy impact since returning, scoring two goals and making one other two assists.

Havertz’s impressive form has led to calls for the Germany international to once more lead the road for Arsenal over £64m summer signing Viktor Gyokeres.

But Arteta could have to make do without Havertz once more after he suffered a muscular injury, based on The Athletic.

The difficulty will rule Havertz out of next weekend’s north London derby against Tottenham, in addition to Arsenal’s two upcoming games.

Arsenal, sitting just three points clear at the highest of the Premier League following Manchester City’s win over Fulham on Wednesday night, return to motion against Brentford on Thursday.

The Gunners then tackle League One strugglers Wigan Athletic within the FA Cup this weekend before a Premier League clash with bottom-placed Wolves next Wednesday.

Arsenal visit Tottenham on February 22, aiming to finish a double over their north London rivals following a 4-1 win at home in November, but Havertz won’t be involved.

Arseblog News claim Havertz will probably be out of motion for ‘around a month’, meaning he could also miss crucial games against Brighton and London rivals Chelsea in early March.

Havertz tore his hamstring this time last yr and the numerous injury required surgery, but this latest issue isn’t regarded as ‘similarly serious’.

But it should still come as a blow to Arteta, who’s already without captain Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka and Mikel Merino.

Discussing Havertz’s return last month, Arteta said: ‘The team knows how essential Kai is for us and the way he may also help the team to be a lot better and take the team to a different level.

‘Let’s bring him on board and ensure that we use him in the precise way because he’s going to be really essential for us within the second a part of the season.’

Meanwhile, ex-England striker Emile Heskey said before Havertz’s injury setback that he must be the ‘primary man’ for Arsenal up front.

Gyokeres is into double figures for Arsenal this season but has still attracted criticism, with some suggesting he isn’t at the extent of Havertz or Gabriel Jesus.

‘I like watching Kai Havertz play and he must be Mikel Arteta’s primary man up front,’ Heskey told aGamble.

‘Even when he was being heavily criticised, I watched his movements closely and while they were subtle, they were all the time deliberate.

‘He creates space not just for himself, but others, which shows he’s selfless and considers what is perhaps best for the team reasonably than simply him as a person – which could be very easy to do as a forward.

‘Havertz can also be returning to this Arsenal side at the precise time; Mikel Arteta needs all of the players he can get, because by being in all 4 competition, he’ll need squad depth and reliable forwards.

‘We’re coming towards the business end of the season, and given his experience, Arsenal will need players like Havertz within the dressing room and on the pitch to provide performances worthy of winning trophies.’

Arsenal’s north London rivals Tottenham could have a brand new manager within the dugout for the derby after sacking Thomas Frank on Wednesday.

The Gunners’ next opponents, Brentford, have won seven of their last ten games to climb to seventh within the table, just six points outside the top-four.

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