Arsenal's Nightmare International Break Claims Fourth Victim in Devastating Injury Crisis

Arsenal's injury-plagued November international window received another unwelcome development when news broke that Kai Havertz had experienced a "minor setback" during his rehabilitation process.

The German striker hasn't appeared for either his club or national team since the season opener, where he sustained a knee injury during a brief but costly 30-minute appearance against Manchester United.

Mikel Arteta tends to be secretive regarding injury matters. The Arsenal boss has been known to employ cunning tactics to mislead rivals about his players' fitness levels, consistently providing completely unreliable information.

Germany's head coach Julian Nagelsmann has no motivation to distort facts and provided a worrying assessment of his missing striker. "Kai has experienced a minor setback," he disclosed following Tuesday's World Cup qualification, before adding, "however, he's progressing well. If everything proceeds smoothly, he could return to action near year's end."

Just prior to this month's international period, Arteta cautioned that Arsenal would take a measured approach with Havertz as he gradually returned to training. "We'll observe how he handles the workload initially when he begins training with the team," the Spanish manager stated, "and once he's accomplished that, we'll obviously need to monitor him closely during the first few weeks to control his playing time and match appearances."

This news regarding Havertz represents yet another fitness blow for the Gunners during this period.

Arsenal's November Injury Crisis

In Spain, particularly at Barcelona, losing numerous players to injuries during international windows is termed the "FIFA Virus." Arsenal have contracted a severe case this month.

Gabriel represents the most significant absence, suffering a thigh problem that may sideline him for up to 15 matches before potentially returning sometime in January. Teammate Riccardo Calafiori also had to pull out of international commitments, though the Italian defender should be ready for this weekend's north London clash.

Jurriën Timber became another possible November victim. The Dutch center-back, who is arguably experiencing his finest form at senior level, went down following a heavy challenge during the Netherlands' win over Lithuania on Monday evening. Timber seemed to sustain a significant leg gash but continued playing before departing in the 64th minute. His status for the weekend remains uncertain.

These three players have been dealing with an overcrowded medical facility. Havertz joins long-term casualty Gabriel Jesus on the injury list while Noni Madueke, Viktor Gyökeres and Gabriel Martinelli all remained at the training ground during international duty.

Martin Ødegaard strangely linked up with Norway's camp in a non-participating role as Erling Haaland and teammates clinched World Cup qualification to continue his recovery from a knee issue. Worryingly, Norway's coach Ståle Solbakken suggested his skipper remains "quite far away" from returning.

Arteta has tentatively suggested this weekend as a possible comeback date for Madueke, Gyökeres and Martinelli, though tempered that prospect with the caveat: "Many factors must align over the next fortnight, and everything must go flawlessly, but I believe we'll be very near." Little has approached flawless for Arsenal's injury situation recently.