Mikel Arteta says Arsenal’s improved squad depth will help them cope after confirming that Kai Havertz will remain sidelined for several more weeks. The Germany forward, out since August following knee surgery, suffered a setback when he was unable to progress to the next stage of his rehabilitation.
Arteta must now choose whether to continue with Mikel Merino as a makeshift striker against Brentford on Wednesday or turn to Viktor Gyökeres, who recently returned from injury. Gabriel Jesus is also pushing for involvement after 11 months out.
Arsenal may again be without William Saliba and Leandro Trossard, meaning summer signings Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapié could continue in central defence. Arteta believes the club’s £250m summer investment has created a “more reliable” squad capable of handling such absences.
He highlighted the importance of versatility, saying players must adapt to different positions to compete at the highest level. Arteta also expressed his admiration for Havertz, calling him a key figure whose return would provide a “massive boost.”
