Arsenal have been dealt a fresh injury blow as Kai Havertz has been forced to withdraw from the Germany squad due to a knee issue.
Havertz played the full 90 minutes in Arsenal’s 3-1 victory over Southampton on Saturday but will miss the upcoming international break as a result of his injury.
The 25-year-old has been in impressive form this season, scoring his sixth goal in 10 matches during the Gunners’ comeback win.
Cameron Archer initially gave Southampton the lead at the Emirates, but Havertz struck the equalizer before Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka sealed the victory for Arsenal.
The German Football Association said on Sunday: “Kai Havertz will miss the upcoming international matches against Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Netherlands due to knee problems.
“Get well soon, Kai!”
Mikel Arteta praised Kai Havertz after the forward continued his impressive form in the Gunners’ 3-1 victory over Southampton.
“You can tell [his confidence has grown], he takes the ball and he runs with the ball,” Arteta said after the Saints win.
“He’s on high press, he goes full gas, the way he holds the ball, the position he takes in the box.
“He’s an attacking midfielder, he plays as a nine, you don’t know where he is, that’s his football brain.
“His focus now is ‘I’m going to win the game, I’m going to do it’ and that’s a different thing.
“When he’s practising, he wants more and he’s not satisfied with what he’s doing because there is still, I think, another level from him.
“Obviously, he’s surrounded by incredible players but something has changed in him and that confidence, you really sense it and now he’s putting it into games and he’s winning football matches which is great.”
According to Fabrizio Romano, Kai Havertz will be evaluated by Arsenal’s medical staff in the coming days.
Mikel Arteta’s side doesn’t return to action until Saturday, October 19, when they travel to Bournemouth for a Premier League clash.
This break offers the former Chelsea forward some valuable extra time to recover.
However, like the recent fixtures, the Gunners are about to enter another demanding period following the international break.
Arsenal will play seven games in just three weeks, including four Premier League matches, a Carabao Cup tie away at Preston, and two crucial Champions League encounters against Shakhtar Donetsk and Inter Milan.
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