Kai Havertz has suffered an injury blow on international duty and is returning to Arsenal for assessment. The forward picked up a suspected minor muscle strain during Germany's 1-1 draw with the Netherlands on Thursday, pulling up after a challenge from Quinten Timber and being replaced by Younes Ebnoutalib.
The injury is understood to be a minor muscle strain, which will rule Havertz out of Germany's remaining fixtures this window. He will now be examined by Arsenal's medical staff to determine the full extent of the problem and a potential timeline for his return. Germany manager Jurgen Klopp confirmed both Havertz and the also-injured Jamal Musiala were undergoing scans. "Both are currently undergoing an MRI," Klopp said.
His potential absence comes at an inconvenient time for Mikel Arteta's side, who sit second in the Premier League standings with 12 points from five games. Havertz has started six of Arsenal's eight matches in all competitions this season, scoring three goals, and has been a more prominent figure than last term when knee and muscle issues limited him to just seven league starts. He also missed the final three months of the 2024/25 campaign with a serious hamstring tear, making this latest issue a concern.
With Havertz sidelined, Arsenal's striking options are reduced. Viktor Gyokeres is the only recognised centre-forward in the squad, having scored 21 goals in all competitions last season, though he has seen limited league action this term with just 29 minutes. Midfielder Mikel Merino has also been used in an advanced role previously. The situation may test the squad's depth as they prepare to host fifth-placed Leeds United on 10 October, looking to bounce back from a 3-0 defeat at Brighton in their last outing. That loss was part of a recent form that has seen them win just one of their last three league matches.
Germany have called up Florian Wirtz and Jonathan Burkardt as replacements for Havertz and Musiala in their squad. Arsenal will hope their assessment brings positive news ahead of a key period in the season, which continues with a full list of upcoming fixtures.
More detail at Sky Sports Football
