Mikel Arteta has revealed that Kai Havertz is nearing his return from knee surgery, with the Arsenal manager expecting the German to add a 'different dimension' to his side's attack. The 26-year-old has been sidelined since undergoing an operation in August and suffered a setback during rehabilitation, delaying his comeback.
Havertz was Arsenal's top Premier League scorer last season with nine goals despite a hamstring problem. He has been pictured back in training this week, and Arteta confirmed he was 'quite close' to being considered for the Carabao Cup win over Crystal Palace on Tuesday. 'I think it will be a matter of days, not weeks,' the Spaniard said.
The match against Brighton on Saturday may come too soon for Havertz, who will compete with Viktor Gyökeres and Gabriel Jesus for a starting berth. Gabriel Martinelli is a doubt with a knee injury, while defender Piero Hincapié has picked up an unspecified issue. Arteta is hopeful Gabriel Magalhães could return in the new year.
Arsenal have also improved their discipline this season, leading the fair play table with 22 bookings and no red cards in 17 games, after six sendings-off last term. Arteta recalled Declan Rice's controversial dismissal against Brighton in August 2024, saying he was 'very hacked off' and hoping for a different outcome this time.
