Arsenal hit by striker’s disaster after Havertz harm concern
Wednesday twelfth February, 2025 03:57 PM|
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Arsenal worry an harm to Kai Havertz may go away them with out a recognised centre-forward for a number of weeks in a significant blow to their Premier League title hopes.
The Germany striker is being assessed earlier than Saturday’s journey to Leicester after sustaining what is known to be a muscular drawback throughout Arsenal’s coaching camp in Dubai. Havertz, the membership’s high scorer this season with 15 targets in all competitions, returned to London with Mikel Arteta’s squad on Tuesday and can obtain additional remedy amid considerations that he may miss an important a part of the marketing campaign, together with the journey to third-placed Nottingham Forest on 26 February.
Arsenal are anticipated to be with out Gabriel Martinelli for a number of weeks after the Brazilian injured a hamstring within the defeat by Newcastle within the Carabao Cup semi-final final week, and Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus are sidelined with long-term accidents. That leaves Arteta with solely three match senior forwards however none of Leandro Trossard, Raheem Sterling or Ethan Nwaneri favours a central function.
The academy product Nathan Butler-Oyedeji, a 22-year-old but to attain a league objective after loans at Accrington and Cheltenham, could possibly be an choice. However, the Arsenal supervisor has beforehand hinted that Nwaneri – the 17-year-old who has scored seven targets in a superb breakthrough season – could also be his most popular selection.
“I think he can develop into a No 9,” Arteta stated in December. “He has got the goal in front of him and he looks at the goal and he has a tremendous ability to put the ball in the back of the net.”
Only final week Arteta had praised Havertz’s “robustness” and dismissed considerations that the 25-year-old might need to play each recreation given Arsenal’s failure to sign a striker in the January window.
“Genetically, he is a powerhouse,” Arteta stated. “He is so well-built. He is a player that anything you ask him, he is happy to do: to run, to be very robust, to make long distances. His body absorbs everything and then he really looks after himself. We know how to manage him and we believe that when he says something it is for the right reason, not because he wants to avoid something. When something works, don’t touch him.”
Saka travelled with Arsenal to Dubai and was pictured working within the gymnasium, though he isn’t anticipated to return for not less than one other month after hamstring surgical procedure. There are additionally considerations about Takehiro Tomiyasu, who has performed solely six minutes for Arsenal this season after one other knee harm and didn’t journey to Dubai. The Japan defender may face one other operation having confronted a number of setbacks in his makes an attempt to return to full coaching.