Arteta Raves About Kai Havertz as 'Different Specimen' in Promising Arsenal Update

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has not completely dismissed the possibility of Kai Havertz making his comeback from injury within "weeks" instead of "months", though such an outcome remains unlikely.

Arteta believes Havertz is "a different specimen" who could potentially surprise everyone with his recovery timeline.

The German forward was absent for a significant period last season due to a hamstring issue, leaving Arsenal lacking firepower in attack. Unfortunately, he sustained a knee injury just days following the 2025-26 season opener, keeping him sidelined ever since.

While Havertz isn't anticipated to return until late November at the earliest, Arteta indicates that nothing is set in stone.

"Regarding Kai, we understand it will take months for his return. I'm uncertain if it could be weeks instead - you can never tell because this is Kai and he's a different specimen," the manager explained to the media.

"His absence is deeply felt by the team. Hopefully, he'll return and stay fit for an extended period, which makes protecting that knee absolutely crucial. His recovery is going quite well so far."

What's Behind Arsenal's Injury Crisis?

Havertz isn't Arsenal's only unavailable player currently. While Pep Guardiola voiced concerns about exhaustion and injuries following Sunday's 1-1 stalemate with Manchester City, Arsenal supporters have legitimate grounds for feeling frustrated about their squad's predicament.

Both Bukayo Saka and Martin Ødegaard have been absent for matches this campaign. Noni Madueke represents the most recent injury concern, while Gabriel Jesus continues his extended rehabilitation.

Arteta emphasized that the medical staff is investigating every issue thoroughly, as they did with Saka's situation. However, some injuries are simply unfortunate circumstances or freak accidents.

"We examined everything comprehensively," he stated.

"Noni's situation is purely unfortunate luck; it's an extremely unlucky incident. Kai's case is comparable. Ben White's injury was similar. Martin's situation mirrors all the other players who've been out - very comparable, as he injured his shoulder twice in the same incident on the ground, which is highly improbable.

"Bukayo's was more of a muscle-related hamstring injury, perhaps requiring deeper investigation, and we thoroughly conducted that analysis. We strive to minimize these occurrences as much as possible."