Kai Havertz: The Arsenal Arsenal Surprise injury deepens the crisis, so what is Mikel Arteta doing now in the attack? | Football news

Only last week, after a portable window closed without adding an attacker to his Arsenal department, Mikel Arteta spoke of the need to be “flexible” in the attack to cope with the absence of Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus.

The terrifying task has become even harder now.

After already lost to Gabriel Martinelli due to a lower leg injury for more than a month in the defeat of Carabao CUP from Newcastle, Arsenal faces the possibility of losing a longer lost Kai Havertz after suffering a tear on the same muscles while training in Dubai.

Havertz’s absence would leave Leandro Trossard, Raheem Sterling and 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri as Arsenal’s only other available attack options. Saka is still in some way from returning from a knee injury, despite increasing rehabilitation in Dubai. Jesus is out for the season.

The absence of Jesus left Havertz as the only option of Arsenal at the attacker’s position, and Artea admitted last week that the 25-year-old may have to start every game between now and the end of the campaign. But he already had a great work burden.

Only William Saliba and Gabriel played more minutes this season than Havertz from Arsenal’s players. Havertz is up to 34 appearances in all competitions, after scoring the 51 last term. On top of all, the role no. 9 Under the arte, it is uniquely physically demanding.

The Premier League monitoring data for this season shows it. Jesus and Havertz ranked in the first and fifth place among the attackers at a distance of 90 minutes. It is worth noting that Dominic Solanko, who is going through a similar amount of candidates for her rivals from northern London Tottenham, has recently been charged with injury.

Of course, injuries are not just down to the load. Happiness also plays a big role. But in Havertz’s case, especially, it should be a big surprise. Arteta described him last week as “genetic power”, but every player has his borders, and Havertz must have looked close to his recent Games of Arsenal.

He made an epic shift, even by his standards, in a 1-0 victory over wolves in which Arsenal played for almost an hour with 10 men. He then played 89 minutes of victory 5-1 over Manchester City and finished 90 in Newcastle, despite the fact that that connection was dead in the second half.

Arteta is a hand, at least to some extent, forced by a lack of alternatives available. But it is reasonable to wonder if it could have been more to do to protect the player who ran away from anyone else in Arsenal this season, and is also on top for pressure and offensive races.

The concern is that a warm time interruption is intended for vacation and recovery maybe too late for Havertz.

Who could fill in number 9?

Artea mentioned all three Tossard, Sterling and Nwaner as a false-devet option last week. The former looks for a job favorite that played the 723 -minute Premier League in Arsenal position, about a quarter of its total number of his arrival two years ago.

Whether it can provide the necessary threat of the goal is another question. Havertz’s ending is sometimes frustrated, but he is the top scorer of Arsenal with nine goals in the Premier League. A total of 15 in all competitions put him on his career season with the most points.

Troossard, in contrast, found only five times five times in this term and scored only once, in a 2-1 victory over Tottenham in January, in the last 18 appearances in all competitions.

Sterling’s shape is even less convincing.

Chelsea loan showed signs of improvements from possession in the recent Cameos. A total of five fights against Spurs was the second highest in the Premier League match.

But he only achieved once a season, at Carabao Cup against Bolton. His lack of confidence in front of a goal was summed up by a missed penalty in the Champions League victory over Girona.

Then there is nwaner. Moving players of only 17 to such an unknown role would be a big question from Artea, but the product of the Academy certainly looks Arsenal’s biggest threat to the goal.

With seven goals in just 700 minutes of this season, its average of 0.90 per 90 minutes is the highest of all the Premier League players in all competitions. It is also at the top among the players of Arsenal for shotguns on the target in 90 minutes, as well as the rate of accuracy of shooting and conversion of shooting.

Considering the danger he represents when cutting on the right and aiming for shooting towards a long corner, as he did successfully at the recent games against Girona and Manchester City, Arteta may be considered that he is better off holding him in his natural position.

An alternative option for Arthoma would be out of the runway and rearrange one of his midfielder players.

Can Mikel Merino be worthy of trial in a position? It would be a difficult task for the Spanish international, who still finds his legs in English football, but at least he has physical quality and air force to serve as an exit in a similar style for Havertz.

No matter what Artea does in position no. It cannot be expected that Trossard, Sterling and Nwaneri will play every minute. Others, like Myles Lewis-Skelly or even Kieran Tierney, may have to be used forward.

Artea, of course, has already promoted the best club academic players in Nwneri and Lewis-Skelly, but the second on the edge of the first team, such as the wing of Nathan Butler-Oyedeji and Ismeal Kabia, might be invited.

The injury crisis adds in January questions

What is certain is that there is no perfect solution.

Arsenal is already six points behind the leaders of the Premier League Liverpool, who play their game in their hand against Everton on Wednesday night. I can’t afford further slipping, regardless of the result in that game at Goodison Park.

But the reality is that sights could be descended. The chances of the Arsenal title were already strongly influenced by the injuries of Jesus, Sake and Martinelli, and while the last two should return in the weeks and months ahead, adding a hadtz to the long -term list of absence is the hardest blow, so far is the hardest blow.

All of this is used to intensify Arsenal’s decision not to strengthen in January after failing to offer Ollie Watkins Aston Villa. The club’s attitude was that it was better to wait for the summer, when long -term goals became available. But it felt like a gambling, even before their crisis of injury had deepened. This is the one he returned.