New Delhi: Kai Havertz being ruled out for the rest of the season with a hamstring injury no doubt puts Arsenal in a spot of bother. The Gunners have already lost their other two experienced attackers Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli to the same injury earlier. Martinelli is expected to remain on the sidelines for a month after limping off the pitch during the EFL Cup semi-final against Newcastle United. Gabriel Jesus is out until the next season with an ACL injury.
The injury sadly comes just a day after the side returned from a training camp in Dubai to revitalize a Gunners squad that Mikel Arteta felt was slightly worn out. After returning from the UAE, Arsenal said that Havertz would be undergoing surgery soon and his recovery would extend up to the pre-season of the next season.
🚨🔴⚪️ OFFICIAL: Arsenal confirm Kai Havertz’s season is over due to hamstring injury.
“The injury will require surgery, which will take place in the coming days”.
“Soon after surgery, Kai will begin his recovery programme until the pre-season preparations for next season”. pic.twitter.com/15jlhRCZ00
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 13, 2025
Arsenal’s poor transfer window strategy
The Spanish manager more recently has complained about the side’s failure to bring forth good refurbishment during the January transfer period and had previously expressed worry over the team suffering more setbacks as Arsenal become one of the strongest contenders for the trophy. Arteta’s side currently has only three proper forwards in the team in the form of Leandro Trossard, Raheem Sterling and Ethan Nwaneri, who should be ready to face Leicester City in the coming weekend.
During Arsenal’s Premier League outing against Manchester City when they beat the reigning champions 5-1, Arteta didn’t use either Riccardo Calafiori or Mikel Merino, the two big signings of the summer for Arsenal. It was Myles Lewis-Skelly at the left-back who was outstanding while in the left midfield, it was Declan Rice who was impressive. Both Calafiori and Merino have struggled to cement their spot though have contributed to the side’s performance on many occasions.
In the summer, the 42-year-old manager had admitted that his side lacked the depth that was needed to excel at the top level. Arteta had mentioned that they needed “23 outfield players” and this was the reason they needed to build themselves quality academy players and trust them with responsibilities. Further, he hoped that looking after the squad he had in hand and giving them ample minutes should be enough.
No one could have predicted the number of injuries that Arsenal would be hit in the season, starting with Martin Odegaard being on the sidelines after returning from an international break in September. With Eddie Nketiah going to Crystal Palace and Eddie Smith Rowe going to Fulham along with Reiss Nelson on loan, Arteta’s squad may have missed a trick. The two academy graduates though brought Arsenal £60m.
The summer transfer concluded with a late loan buy of Chelsea’s Sterling, who so far has only got himself 216 minutes in the top tier. It was the sporting director Edu’s final signing before departing the club in November. Arteta more recently said that both Sterling and Trossard could play through the middle while Nwaneri will in the future feature as the side’s no.9 given the way the teenager has scored seven times across competitions this season.
Arsenal’s solution to combat injury-ridden squad
As Arsenal challenges Liverpool for the title, it does say a lot about the Gunners for currently relying on a 17-year-old to win their first Premier League since Arsene Wenger led the side to glory in 2004. With piling injuries Arsenal’s decision to put Jason Ayto in the role of Edu is under some spotlight, with Arteta last week confirming that the decision was to be made soon. Tomas Rosicky, a former Arsenal player is also in contention for the job though despite failing to sign Ollie Watkins, Ayto is still heavily in contention.
RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko has recently been linked yet again for a move in the summer, having rejected a move last summer window. For now, though, Arteta has to figure out a way to win trophies. A prominent name could be Nathan Butler-Oyedeji, who made his debut in the Champions League and though hasn’t scored for in the league, he has accumulated 13 goals this season in U-21.
Having started in the Carabao Cup last season, even winger Charles Sagoe Jr could be one player who could be used in a wide position. While they may have a huge summer spending, for now, Arsenal are looking at the players they have to fit in different roles. Last month against Aston Villa, Arsenal gave a two-goal lead and settled for a 2-2 draw which Arteta pointed out may have given a hint on what the season might look like.
Arsenal’s poor transfer strategy means Mikel Arteta has to look within the Gunners ranks to fit different players in different positions as injuries in the squad pile on. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
