Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Kai Havertz is on the verge of returning from a long-term knee injury, with the Arsenal manager expecting the German to add “a different dimension” to the attack. Havertz has been sidelined since undergoing knee surgery in August and missed the start of the season, with his return delayed after a setback in rehabilitation.
The 26-year-old, who was Arsenal’s top Premier League scorer last season with nine goals despite a hamstring issue, was pictured training this week. Arteta revealed Havertz was “quite close” to being considered for the Carabao Cup quarter-final win over Crystal Palace on Tuesday. “I think it will be a matter of days, not weeks,” Arteta said. “He’s a player that we miss a lot, a player that brings the team into a different dimension.”
Saturday’s Premier League match against Brighton may come too soon for Havertz, who will compete with Viktor Gyökeres and Gabriel Jesus for a starting spot. Gabriel Martinelli is a doubt with a knee injury, while Arteta also faces defensive concerns after Piero Hincapié picked up an unspecified injury against Everton. Riccardo Calafiori is expected to continue alongside William Saliba in central defence, with Gabriel Magalhães still rehabilitating and hoped to return in the new year.
Arsenal have improved their discipline this season, leading the Premier League fair play standings with 22 bookings and no red cards from 17 games, a stark contrast to six sendings-off last season. Arteta recalled the controversial red card for Declan Rice against Brighton in August 2024, saying: “I remember very well, I was very hacked off in the manner that we played with 10 men. Hopefully it’s going to be very different next time.”
