Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has been left with egg on his face after claiming that he believed Kai Havertz could deal with the intense schedule coming up for his side.
It comes as Kai Havertz tore his hamstring, which will keep him out for the rest of the season, coming as a major blow to the side.
The striker joins Gabriel Jesus in the injured ranks, with the Brazilian also facing a long spell on the sidelines through an ACL tear.
Arsenal are now left with no recognised centre-forward for the remaining three months of the season, which could prove costly.
While Mikel Arteta looks to solve that issue, his previous claim on Kai Havertz may have come back to haunt him.
Mikel Arteta backed Kai Havertz to play every game before Arsenal injury
With Jesus facing a spell out of the team, Arteta was left with the option of playing Havertz or looking elsewhere in his team.
On the possibility of the former being the best option to go with, the Arsenal boss backed him to feature plenty.
Speaking shortly after the close of the January transfer window, Arteta told the press: “I don’t know … it is a possibility [Havertz could start every game].
“Maybe we go through that scenario and he scores another 15 or 18 goals? Can you imagine? That’s a good scenario.
“Genetically, he is a powerhouse. He is so well-built. He is a player that anything you ask him, he is happy to do: to run in zone six, to be very robust, to make long distances. His body absorbs everything. And then he really looks after himself.
“When you see the professional, how he lives his life, it is immaculate. He does more than any other player there. That is not a coincidence. And then I think he is so intelligent.
“He knows what is good for him and what is not. 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.”
It has left Arteta with some egg on his face, but even deeper is that it points towards the deeper issues at Arsenal and beyond.
Fixture congestion points to Arsenal injury worries
The real concern for Arsenal is one that runs a lot deeper within football itself and has become a problem every team is facing.
Fixture congestion is one of the issues that can be pointed at especially, with the Gunners struggling to keep players fit.
Having games every three days has been tough to deal with, not least with some stars expected to play around 60 games per season.
Shortening breaks, less training sessions and more strain on bodies is causing clear problems for the players.
When someone as fit and able as Havertz is even breaking down, it shows just how big of a problem it is.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
