Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says he loves the challenge of losing his main forward options to injury but thinks losing Kai Havertz was “an accident waiting to happen” because of the load on players at the top of the Premier League.
Havertz is out for the rest of the season with a hamstring injury and joins Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka on the sidelines.
Arsenal have Raheem Sterling, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli available – all of whom regularly play out wide.
It remains to be seen who will be used in a central role in the coming weeks.
A medical update on Kai Havertz.
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) February 13, 2025
Arteta said: “We were having a great camp in Dubai, recharging , training, connecting with nature and different environment. Then the injury to Havertz happened in unexpected way, it’s a big blow because of injuries we have.
“Fortunately we have been through a lot this season, it’s the challenge I have. We love it. Let’s see what the team is made of.
“If any team in this league loses four players in their frontline like that I know what the answer will be.”
Arteta said Saka and defender Ben White were back in the early stages of training but will not be available to face Leicester this weekend.
Arsenal tried to bring in Ollie Watkins during the January transfer window as they were already light in attack, but Arteta says his side will have to cope with their latest loss.
He said: “With the loads and minutes, it’s inevitable, It’s an accident waiting to happen. This season it’s the accumulation of that, the stress. Is it bad luck? Certainly the schedule is demanding, and for explosive players it becomes an issue.
“The intensity obviously has gone to a different level, the demands we put on players is higher and higher, it’s consequence of that. Long-term injuries, especially muscle and tendon-related ones, are increasing.
“We train less than ever. We have less time for training. The problem is that the muscles are then over-trained, so the muscles and tendons are not prepared to absorb the stress and don’t have time to recover either.”
