The Gunners' boss has expressed confidence that his team can keep managing with injury setbacks following revealing that star striker Kai Havertz will not return for several more weeks.
The German forward has been out since the summer due to knee surgery. Initially expected to return at the start of this month, the manager stated the player encountered a problem when advancing his recovery and was unable to move forward “the required stage.”
“We took lessons, and managed to assemble a group that is far more dependable and has increased versatility,” commented Arteta.
This update creates a selection headache for Wednesday’s match against Brentford. The manager needs to decide between sticking with Mikel Merino, who scored in an unfamiliar forward role on Sunday, or recalling Viktor Gyökeres, who came back off the bench off the bench. Veteran striker Gabriel Jesus is also in contention post-recovery.
Additional concerns involve defender William Saliba and attacker Leandro Trossard, who both missed the Chelsea match. Therefore, summer signings Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapié are expected to keep their places in the backline for the Premier League front-runners.
The manager is convinced the ÂŁ250m spend on reinforcements ahead of this season has left Arsenal in a much stronger position to handle such unavailability.
When asked if a larger pool of players was aiding their league challenge, the manager agreed. “Yes, because this season has been worse in certain positions, and now what’s happening with the backline,” he continued.
“Our previous experiences taught us that we must deploy players in different positions, and they need to be prepared to adapt to new tasks if we want to compete at the highest level. And the case of Mikel is probably the prime illustration.”
Commenting on the setback highlighted by Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann, Arteta provided more insight. “He followed all protocols. He failed to advance to the required step and now it appears like we have overcome that hurdle.”
The manager conveyed his keenness to have him back. “We’re all desperate to have him. Honestly, it’s a player that, for me, I admire greatly for his contributions to the team, but his character, his nature. I see him suffer while sidelined.”
“His playing record is phenomenal, he's usually fit, and I am eagerly awaiting to see him return around the team playing because I feel it’s going to be a significant uplift.”
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