Arsenal’s injury issues are already rearing their head again, with some key absences already being felt by Mikel Arteta.
The Gunners suffered from plenty of problems last season, with important players missing large chunks of the campaign.
Arsenal have responded accordingly in the market, signing plenty of new players to cover off some important positions with quality in depth.
Despite that, injuries are biting hard again, and now another ace is looking set to miss the Premier League clash with Liverpool.
Kai Havertz set to miss Liverpool clash as Arsenal await knee surgery decision
Arsenal already have several selection concerns within the squad, as Mikel Arteta must navigate some early issues.
Bukayo Saka’s hamstring injury and Martin Odegaard’s shoulder issue add two more to the list of casualties over the past week.
They join Gabriel Jesus, Christian Norgaard and Ben White as recent absentees within the squad.
Then there is Kai Havertz’s injury, which has been something of a mystery, following his substitute cameo against Manchester United.
The German international has a knee concern, which the Guardian claims will keep him out of action from the Liverpool clash over the weekend.
Havertz will not join up with his national team squad over the upcoming break, while it’s claimed that surgery could be required, depending on the decision over his fitness.
It comes as a huge blow to the player, who was sidelined for months last season with a hamstring issue, as well as Arsenal.
It puts much more pressure on new signing Viktor Gyokeres to continue his goal-scoring streak.
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Viktor Gyokeres will need to better Kai Havertz’s record vs Liverpool
With Havertz set to miss out, much of the scoring burden for Arsenal will be placed on Gyokeres.
He will have a tough task in living up to his quality, as Arteta explained on Havertz’s quality last season: “He has been unbelievable. His football brain, the way he understands space, his timing, he brings people together.
“His work ethic is incredible, and now he is a real threat around the box. He is one of our main players at the moment.”
That’s something Gyokeres will have to replicate, though Havertz’s record against Liverpool isn’t that great.
| Appearances | Goals | Assists | Wins | Draws | Defeats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 3 |
The Swedish international has a chance to match or even surpass his goal record against Liverpool, while turning the tide on the wins front.
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