Arsenal fear an injury to Kai Havertz could leave them without a recognised centre-forward for several weeks in a major blow to their Premier League title hopes.
The Germany striker is being assessed before Saturday’s trip to Leicester after sustaining what is understood to be a muscular problem during Arsenal’s training camp in Dubai. Havertz, the club’s top scorer this season with 15 goals in all competitions, returned to London with Mikel Arteta’s squad on Tuesday and will receive further treatment amid concerns that he could miss a crucial part of the campaign, including the trip to third-placed Nottingham Forest on 26 February.
Arsenal are expected to be without Gabriel Martinelli for several weeks after the Brazilian injured a hamstring in the defeat by Newcastle in the Carabao Cup semi-final last week, and Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus are sidelined with long-term injuries. That leaves Arteta with only three fit senior forwards but none of Leandro Trossard, Raheem Sterling or Ethan Nwaneri favours a central role.
The academy product Nathan Butler-Oyedeji, a 22-year-old yet to score a league goal after loans at Accrington and Cheltenham, could be an option. However, the Arsenal manager has previously hinted that Nwaneri – the 17-year-old who has scored seven goals in a brilliant breakthrough season – may be his preferred choice.
“I think he can develop into a No 9,” Arteta said in December. “He has got the goal in front of him and he looks at the goal and he has a tremendous ability to put the ball in the back of the net.”
Only last week Arteta had praised Havertz’s “robustness” and dismissed concerns that the 25-year-old may have to play every game given Arsenal’s failure to sign a striker in the January window.
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“Genetically, he is a powerhouse,” Arteta said. “He is so well-built. He is a player that anything you ask him, he is happy to do: to run, to be very robust, to make long distances. His body absorbs everything and then he really looks after himself. We know how to manage him and we believe that when he says something it is for the right reason, not because he wants to avoid something. When something works, don’t touch him.”
Saka travelled with Arsenal to Dubai and was pictured working in the gym, although he is not expected to return for at least another month after hamstring surgery. There are also concerns about Takehiro Tomiyasu, who has played only six minutes for Arsenal this season after another knee injury and did not travel to Dubai. The Japan defender could face another operation having faced several setbacks in his attempts to return to full training.
