On December 27, 2025, as Arsenal host Brighton & Hove Albion at the Emirates Stadium, Manager Mikel Arteta has provided positive news regarding Kai Havertz and the time period leading up to his comeback from injury. Having suffered an injury since August, Kai Havertz has been out of action for a significant amount of time. Mikel Arteta indicates that Kai will bring something different to the way Arsenal creates opportunities in their attack.
The Long Road Back from Injury
The news of knee injury sustained 30 minutes into the opening game for Arsenal against Man United significantly impacted Kai Havertz season. He required surgery shortly after causing a major setback to his recovery. This led to him being out for an unexpectedly extended period of time. He was first anticipated to be back by the beginning of December. However, recent photographic evidence of Havertz taking part in full training this week has been a ray of hope. While Arteta stated after the recent Carabao Cup victory against Crystal Palace that Havertz is “very close” to being back in the squad but not yet ready for the Crystal Palace tie.
Arteta’s Enthusiasm for Havertz’s Unique Impact
In his pre-match press conference, Arteta was effusive about Havertz’s impending return: “I think it will be a matter of days, if not weeks. Let’s see in the next steps how he responds to that. He’s a player that we missed a lot, a player that brings the team into a different dimension. So, I’m really happy to have him back very soon.” The Spaniard praised Havertz’s dedication during rehabilitation. He noted how the forward has “destroyed all the metrics” in gym work, improving power, acceleration, and agility. This “different dimension” refers to Havertz’s versatility. His ability to drop deep, link play, hold up the ball, and arrive late in the box, qualities that complemented Arsenal’s fluid attack last season. Moreover, he topped their Premier League scoring charts with nine goals despite missing chunks due to a prior hamstring problem.
Boost for a Struggling Attack
Arsenal’s forward line has laboured in Havertz’s absence. Summer signing Viktor Gyökeres, acquired for £64m, has managed only five league goals, struggling against compact defences. Gabriel Jesus also recently came back from his own long-term knee issue. This marked a milestone with his first start in nearly a year against Palace. Arsenal have not scored any open-play (non-penalty) goals in the last three fixtures they have played in the Premier League. This making it even more vital that Kai returns to aid in creativity and provide a strong physical presence. His return can also increase the levels of competition and allow Arsenal to rotate players, and with a busy Christmas fixture schedule upcoming – Aston Villa on December 30, for example – Kai’s return will be beneficial.
Team Context and Defensive Concerns
Havertz’s positive news adds to what’s already been a tough start to February for Arsenal. However, there’s still plenty of uncertainty around the fitness of some of their players. Defender Gabriel Magalhaes is currently recovering in Melbourne after suffering a thigh injury while on international duty with Brazil. Meanwhile, winger Gabriel Martinelli looks like he might miss out on Saturday’s match after picking up a knee knock, while young centre-back Piero Hincapié sustained a different kind of injury but was able to finish the game last week.
However, despite these setbacks, Arsenal currently stands at the top of the Premier League table ahead of Manchester City by two points. They also play a more disciplined brand of football, having had no red cards in the current season so far.
As featured on GoonerNews.com
