Arsenal forward Kai Havertz has admitted it’s been a “tough few days both mentally and physically” but is now on the road to recovery after undergoing successful surgery for a torn hamstring.
The 25-year-old German international has often faced criticism for not providing a consistent enough goal threat for the title-chasing Gunners, despite scoring nine Premier League goals in 21 appearances and six more in all competitions. However, there was a sense of deep disappointment in North London when Havertz suffered a freak hamstring injury during the club’s warm-weather training camp in Dubai, which will sideline him for the rest of the 2024/25 season.
Havertz has now taken to social media following a successful operation to repair the damage, opening up about the challenging days he’s endured.
“The last few days have been tough to process both physically and mentally, but yesterday was a good day,” Havertz wrote. “A successful operation and a win.
“Thanks for all the messages of support over the last few days; they’ve really helped. I’m now focused on my journey to full fitness and giving all the support I can to the team from behind the scenes.”
Havertz’s absence comes at a difficult time for Arsenal, who are already without key players Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus, and Gabriel Martinelli — the latter being the likely candidate to play up front had he not picked up a minor issue in the Carabao Cup semifinal defeat to Newcastle United. Leandro Trossard started as Arsenal’s center-forward option in Saturday’s 2-0 win over Leicester City, but the winning goals actually came from Mikel Merino, who stepped up from his usual central midfield role to fill the void with 20 minutes to go.
Merino’s brace kept the pressure on leaders Liverpool, aided by an assist from rising star and man of the match, Ethan Nwaneri.
With Havertz ruled out for the remainder of the season, Arsenal manager must now find creative solutions to address the attacking void left by one of their key forwards, especially with the intense title race still ongoing.
