Mikel Arteta is thinking about using an Arsenal defender as a striker after Kai Havertz’s injury

Wed 12 February 2025 17:15, UK

Mikel Arteta might turn to a defender to help in the wake of Kai Havertz’s season ending hamstring injury, TBR Football exclusively understands

Havertz suffered a hamstring injury during Arsenal’s warꦕm weather trip to Dubai, an injury the Gunners simply couldn’t afford.

Arsenal were offered three strikers in January, but the club ultimatel🌌y chose to hold firm given that none of their main targets were available in an accelerated deal.

Arsenal want Benjamin Sesko or Alexander Isak in the summer, but neither were going t𒁃o leave their clubs mid-season.

That being said෴, Havertz has now joined Gabriel Jesus in Arsenal’s treatment room and Arteta has a problem to solve.

Arsenal could turn to defenders to help after Kai Havertz injury

Graeme Bailey – chief correspondent at TBR Football understands that Arsenal are considering the use of a defender to help out꧑ i🌸n wake of Havertz’s injury.

Beyond Jesus and Havertz, Leandro Trossard seems like theཧ most likely candidate to play as a false nine for Arsenal.

Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images

However, Arteta will think abou𒁏t using a defender in🅘 an auxiliary when appropriate until the end of the season.

Defenders like Ben White or Riccardo Calafiori could be an optio🀅n for e⛎xample, a situation which is going to be very ad hoc for the Gunners.

Havertz h🍬as only been absent for two games since joining Arsenal, missing consecutive games in January owing to illness.

Mikel Arteta only just praised Kai Havertz for his ‘robustness’

Havertz’s injury comes at an incredibly unfortunate time for Arsenal, who are also still without Bukayo Saka꧂ as a source🍰 of goals.

And when speaking only a week or so ago,ꦐꦿ Arteta was actually hailing Havertz for his ‘robustness’, a striker who had been responding well to the physical demands of his minutes.

Speaking at his press conference, Arteta said: “He’s played a lot o𒊎f football but his r🐽obustness, his availability is unbelievable.

“You ask him, he feel𝔉s better when he’s playing every three days, against Girona for example, we give him a rest and then he felt fresher, he had a very demanding game physically against City for the role that he had to do.

“Genetically, he is a powerhouse, he’s so well-built, he’s a player that anything you can ask him, speed running, [running into] zone six, to be very robust, to make long-distance [runs],𓃲 he’s happy to do.”

A far from ideal situation, but one that Arsenal wil🦄l have toꦑ be creative to navigate.

Follow us on

Exclusives

Mikel Arteta is thinking about using an Arsenal defender as a striker after Kai Havertz’s injury

Arsenal could turn to defenders to help after Kai Havertz injury

Mikel Arteta only just praised Kai Havertz for his ‘robustness’