Arsenal have suffered a new injury blow with Kai Havertz set for a spell out of the team with a muscular injury.
Havertz missed most of last season through injury but returned to action last month, featuring in Arsenal’s last four games.
Mikel Arteta has repeatedly emphasised Havertz’s importance to the team and the German has made an instant impact since returning, scoring two goals and making another two assists.
Havertz’s impressive form has led to calls for the Germany international to once again lead the line for Arsenal over £64m summer signing Viktor Gyokeres.
But Arteta will have to make do without Havertz once again after he suffered a muscular injury, according to The Athletic.
The issue will rule Havertz out of next weekend’s north London derby against Tottenham, as well as Arsenal’s two upcoming games.
Arsenal, sitting just three points clear at the top of the Premier League following Manchester City’s win over Fulham on Wednesday night, return to action against Brentford on Thursday.
The Gunners then take on League One strugglers Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup this weekend before a Premier League clash with bottom-placed Wolves next Wednesday.
Arsenal visit Tottenham on February 22, aiming to complete a double over their north London rivals following a 4-1 win at home in November, but Havertz will not be involved.
Arseblog News claim Havertz will be out of action for ‘around a month’, meaning he could also miss crucial games against Brighton and London rivals Chelsea in early March.
Havertz tore his hamstring this time last year and the significant injury required surgery, but this new issue is not thought to be ‘similarly serious’.
But it will still come as a blow to Arteta, who is already without captain Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka and Mikel Merino.
Discussing Havertz’s return last month, Arteta said: ‘The team knows how important Kai is for us and how he can help the team to be much better and take the team to another level.
‘Let’s bring him on board and make sure we use him in the right way because he is going to be really important for us in the second part of the season.’
Meanwhile, ex-England striker Emile Heskey said before Havertz’s injury setback that he should be the ‘main man’ for Arsenal up front.
Gyokeres is into double figures for Arsenal this season but has still attracted criticism, with some suggesting he is not at the level of Havertz or Gabriel Jesus.
‘I love watching Kai Havertz play and he should be Mikel Arteta’s main man up front,’ Heskey told aGamble.
‘Even when he was being heavily criticised, I watched his movements closely and while they were subtle, they were always deliberate.
‘He creates space not only for himself, but others, which shows he’s selfless and considers what might be best for the team rather than just him as an individual – which is very easy to do as a forward.
‘Havertz is also returning to this Arsenal side at the right time; Mikel Arteta needs all the players he can get, because by being in all four competition, he’ll need squad depth and reliable forwards.
‘We’re coming towards the business end of the season, and given his experience, Arsenal will need players like Havertz in the dressing room and on the pitch to produce performances worthy of winning trophies.’
Arsenal’s north London rivals Tottenham will have a new manager in the dugout for the derby after sacking Thomas Frank on Wednesday.
The Gunners’ next opponents, Brentford, have won seven of their last ten games to climb to seventh in the table, just six points outside the top-four.