Arsenal’s charge towards Premier League and Champions League glory has lost some momentum – and it’s problems in attack which might be threatening to spoil all their good work.
Viktor Gyokeres took his tally to 19 for the season against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday night in what was one in all his finest performances since his arrival in north London last summer.
There have been other encouraging days – his two-goal display within the north London derby against Tottenham in January was more evidence of him turning up when it matters. But far too often, the Sweden international has struggled leading the road within the Premier League.
It was telling that within the Premier League showdown against Manchester City on the Eithad two weeks ago – the club’s biggest game of the season – Mikel Arteta dropped Gyokeres to the bench with Kai Havertz restored up front.
With Eberechi Eze and Martin Odegaard also playing their roles, Arsenal’s attack operated with more cohesion and fluidity than it had in some weeks. It was little surprise then that the Germany international kept his place within the side at home to Newcastle United last Saturday.
Within the context of the title run-in, with Arsenal desperately in need of something fresh in attack, the sight of Havertz limping off and heading straight down the tunnel after 34 minutes was an enormous blow.
The previous Chelsea star was neglected of the squad last night in Madrid in consequence of that groin injury but reports this week have suggested his issue shouldn’t be being viewed as a serious one.
But even whether it is on the minor end of the dimensions, the problem could rule Havertz out of a few of Arsenal’s remaining 4 Premier League games.
‘They haven’t confirmed what it’s but it surely has been speculated it’s a groin injury,’ Stephen Smith, CEO and founding father of Kitman Labs which specialises in injury welfare and performance analytics, told Metro.
‘Whether it is a groin injury, in the very best case scenario where it’s a minor grade 1, we’re still talking about anywhere form every week to a few weeks. But something larger, he probably doesn’t return in time.
‘Whether it is a grade 2 then we’re talking a few more significant injury, possibly a partial tear of the muscle or the tendon itself. Generally, you’re looking at a 3 to eight week window for that.’
Arteta’s faith in Havertz has been near unwavering since his move across the capital three years ago however the Gunners boss has leant on other options when required.
Mikel Merino’s role as an auxiliary striker has been a roaring success for club and country with the Spain international arguably essentially the most composed finisher within the Arsenal squad. While he lacks the natural instincts to take up the role on a full-time basis, he seldom lets his manager down, scoring 4 times in his seven appearances up top this term.
Merino has not played for the reason that end of January, undergoing what was described as a ‘very rare’ foot surgery within the weeks that followed. Speaking after the win over Newcastle, Arsenal legend Ian Wright spoke optimistically of the previous Real Sociedad star returning to have a decisive role within the season-run in.
But the fact doesn’t appear as vivid. Merino doesn’t appear to have returned to training with Arteta admitting last week it was ‘too early’ to debate a comeback. Merino himself has stressed the importance of being ‘very careful’ and ‘patient’ in his rehabilitation with a World Cup campaign also to take into consideration.
While not every detail of a player’s return to training might be shared online, there was no suggestion yet the midfielder has returned to the grass with the window for a task to play this season closing each day.
Asked if it realistic to think about Merino a viable option in the approaching weeks, Smith said: ‘I’d think probably not. His surgery was so rare we still don’t know exactly what the problem is. He was in a protective boot for a quite an extended time frame.
‘We’ve got 4 weeks of the season left and he hasn’t returned to the sector to coach yet. After that length of a layoff as well, you’ll probably want 4 weeks of coaching on the sector before you begin interested by returning. So I’d say it is extremely unlikely at this stage.
‘Even if you happen to were to rush him back even for only a single game, it could feel like an enormous risk and will potentially backfire if things don’t go well and potentially send him back to square one again.
‘You’ll need a graduated return from long-term injuries. Even in the event that they aren’t training with the broader team, you’ll normally see athletes out jogging. Before they’re introduced to team training, you’ll typically see them out doing a little activity themselves, working with physios, increase their stamina and dealing on other things.
‘With an ACL injury where you’ll be able to be out for no less than six months, players are normally spending a 3rd of that out on the sector. On this scenario, if a 3rd of the rehabilitation period includes him back training, you’ll still want him back for around a month before any big decisions are made.’
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