Arsenal face a nervous wait over the fitness of Kai Havertz after the forward limped off during Germany's 1-1 Nations League draw with the Netherlands in Amsterdam on Thursday night.
Havertz will return to the club for a scan on his left hamstring and is set to be further assessed after leaving the Germany squad. The issue came after a poor challenge from Crystal Palace midfielder Quinten Timber, brother of Arsenal defender Jurrien.
The initial feeling is that Havertz has avoided a serious injury, but a more precise diagnosis will only come once he returns to Arsenal and undergoes further tests.
Havertz's importance to Arteta
Any time on the sidelines would be a blow for Mikel Arteta, who has started Havertz in every Premier League match so far this season. Since he joined the club from Chelsea in 2023, Arsenal's win rate is 72.7 per cent with Havertz, and 52.4 per cent without.
Havertz has scored twice in the opening weeks of the campaign, matching last season's tally, and played a significant role in what has been, on the whole, a more free-flowing Arsenal attack.
Gyokeres out of form
Viktor Gyokeres would be expected to come in and lead the line in Havertz's absence. However, the 28-year-old has had a difficult start to the season, registering just one shot across two previous starts against Napoli and Ipswich.
The hope for Arteta will be that Gyokeres returns from the international break in a more confident mood, having rediscovered some form with Sweden, starting with a goal against Romania on Friday night. That happened last season, when Gyokeres scored the goals that fired Sweden to the World Cup. He returned to Arsenal and netted in the next eight matches.
Starting Gyokeres up front would, however, force a rethink of how Arsenal have played so far this season. Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka and Havertz have a strong relationship and a more natural understanding of how to combine with each other.
Merino as an alternative
Havertz has regularly drifted out to the right flank and rotated with Saka, who has then gone through the middle. It was also Havertz's sensational dummy that created the space for Odegaard's goal in the 2-1 win over Chelsea earlier this month. Gyokeres would not offer the same sort of movement or link-up play, and that could tempt Arteta to look elsewhere.
There is a decent argument that Arsenal played some of their best football last season when Mikel Merino was used up front. The Spaniard was deployed as an emergency option while Gyokeres and Havertz were out injured, and he looked right at home.
In a run of seven starts, Merino scored four goals and provided three assists. From the start of November to the second week of December, no Premier League player was involved in more goals across all competitions. He combines physicality with real technical security on the ball, and the timing of his runs into the box is good, making him an extremely composed finisher.
In terms of profile, he is far more similar to Havertz than Gyokeres. Like the German, he is an enabler for those around him. On the other side of the coin, Merino would not offer a threat in behind. With the team already lacking in pace, it would become easier for opposition sides to pen Arsenal in without that outlet over the top or down the channels.
It would be a big statement from Arteta to start Merino up front when Gyokeres is available, but the Arsenal manager is not averse to making ruthless decisions.
Limited alternatives
Other options are limited. With Gabriel Martinelli now gone, Arsenal do not have a winger with obvious versatility to also be used as a striker. For all Saka has had good moments centrally, and also looked effective in his brief outings as a No10 last season, Arteta is unlikely to view him as an answer to this particular question.
There is every chance that Havertz still provides Arsenal with good news and does not face any sort of lengthy spell out. Until that confirmation comes, Arteta will be spending the international break pondering every possible solution.
