Kai Havertz came off injured in the first half of Germany's 1-1 Nations League draw with the Netherlands in Amsterdam on Thursday night, and Arsenal are now waiting on the scan on his left hamstring. The timing is awkward because Arsenal have started Havertz in every Premier League match so far this season, and their win rate since he joined from Chelsea in 2023 is 72.7 per cent with him, 52.4 per cent without. He has also given them 2 Premier League goals in those five league appearances.

Arsenal's options without Havertz

The obvious candidate to come in is Viktor Gyökeres, but that is not a clean like-for-like swap. Gyökeres has 0 Premier League goals and only 2 league appearances for Arsenal, so Arteta would be asking him to take on a role he has not fully settled into yet. He has also made only one shot across his previous two starts against Napoli and Ipswich, which does not suggest a striker who is already comfortable at the pace Arsenal want.

Arsenal's other route is Mikel Merino, who has already shown he can work there in a way that suits the rest of the attack. Matt Verri of Standard said: "There is a decent argument that Arsenal played some of their best football last season when Mikel Merino was used up front."

Merino's case and the risk for Gyokeres

Merino's record in that role gives the argument some weight. In a run of seven starts, he scored four goals and provided three assists, and from the start of November to the second week of December no Premier League player was involved in more goals across all competitions. He also has 1 goal involvement in 1 League Cup appearance as a striker, which backs up the idea that he can do more than just occupy space.

That does not make him a perfect replacement for Havertz, because Arsenal lose movement, link play and balance if they take him out. It does, though, give Arteta a reason to think twice before simply handing the role to Gyokeres. Havertz has forced his way above him in the pecking order this season, scoring three goals in six starts in all tournaments, and the latest scan will decide whether Arsenal need an emergency reshuffle or just a short pause.

Mikel Arteta still has a live choice to make, and the next hard date in the story is Arsenal's next Premier League fixture after the international break.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →