Mikel Arteta drops Kai Havertz injury bombshell with Arsenal missing 'different specimen' in final third

After remaining sidelined for the majority of the second half of the 2024-25 campaign with a hamstring problem, Havertz returned to action during pre-season. He came off the bench in Arsenal's 1-0 win over Manchester United in the opening gameweek but picked up another knee problem during a training session last month.

Speaking to reporters, Gunners boss Arteta provided an update on Havertz's condition, admitting his recovery is still in the early stages. "With Kai, we know that it will be months with him. I don’t know if it can be weeks, you never know because this is Kai and he’s a different specimen," he said. "We really miss him. Hopefully, he will be back, and back for the long term as well, so it is very important to look after that knee. So far, he’s progressing pretty well."

New signing Noni Madueke, who arrived at the Emirates Stadium from Chelsea in the summer, is the latest Arsenal star to suffer an injury setback as the winger could be out for months after sustaining a knee injury against Manchester City last weekend. Martin Odegaard, meanwhile, missed the game with a shoulder problem.

Amid all the injury concerns, Bukayo Saka's return against City was a huge relief for the Gunners camp. The English winger could feature again in the club's Carabao Cup fixture against Port Vale on Wednesday, before Arsenal turn their attention to a Premier League clash with Newcastle.