Arsenal forward Kai Havertz has suffered a hamstring injury while on international duty with Germany. The 27-year-old was forced off after just 30 minutes of Germany's Nations League match against the Netherlands on Tuesday night, raising immediate concerns for the Gunners.
Havertz went down following a challenge from Netherlands midfielder Quinten Timber, brother of Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber. Germany's medical staff attended to him on the pitch before he was substituted by Younes Ebnoutalib. The incident disrupted the flow of the game, and the Netherlands scored their opening goal through Felix Nmecha shortly after play resumed.
Havertz has been an ever-present in Arsenal's first five Premier League matches this season. His potential absence would be a significant blow to a side sitting second in the table with 12 points from five games. The forward has averaged goal minutes per appearance for Arsenal this term, a contribution the club will be desperate not to lose. Arsenal's next league fixture is at home to Leeds United on October 10, a match for which his availability is now in serious doubt. The club will be hoping the injury is not serious, as they look to close a three-point gap to leaders Manchester City.
Germany manager Jurgen Klopp had named a large squad for this international break, splitting his players across two separate match groups. Havertz was part of the group that faced the Netherlands and Greece. Klopp had spoken about seeing potential in his selections, saying, "We've got a few guys here who will surprise you, but we see something in the guys and want to be there for their development. Lots of talent has caught our eye."
Havertz has been a key figure for Arsenal since joining the club, scoring 39 goals in 118 appearances and helping them win the Premier League title last season. For Germany, he has 25 goals in 63 caps. Arsenal's recent form shows four wins and one defeat in their last five matches, with their most recent result a 3-0 loss at Brighton. The club already has defender William Saliba on the sidelines, and fans can track the latest team news on the official injuries page. Mikel Arteta will now assess Havertz's condition ahead of the key run of fixtures detailed on the club's fixtures schedule.
More detail at Daily Mirror Football
