Havertz injury deepens Arsenal’s attacking woes

Arsenal are facing a major crisis in attack after Kai Havertz suffered a potentially season-ending hamstring injury during the club’s training camp in Dubai. This leaves the Gunners without any fit recognized strikers as they attempt to chase down Premier League leaders Liverpool.

Havertz sustained the injury during training and returned to London with the rest of the squad on Tuesday evening. The full extent of the damage will be assessed over the coming days, with manager Mikel Arteta expected to provide an update at his press conference on Friday.

The German international’s injury comes as a huge blow to Arsenal, who are already without Gabriel Jesus for the remainder of the campaign due to an ACL injury. Gabriel Martinelli is also sidelined for at least a month with a hamstring problem.

With no senior strikers available, Arteta faces some difficult decisions regarding his attacking options. Leandro Trossard may be asked to play as a false nine, while youngster Ethan Nwaneri could be thrust into first-team action sooner than expected. On-loan forward Raheem Sterling is another potential option to lead the line.

The injury crisis has led to criticism of Arsenal’s January transfer activity, with the club failing to bring in attacking reinforcements despite their lack of depth up front. A late bid for Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins was rejected in the final days of the window.

Former Arsenal striker Alan Smith described the situation as a “nightmare” for the club, stating their title challenge now looks “nigh-on impossible” given their depleted attacking resources compared to Liverpool’s in-form frontline.

With crucial fixtures coming up in both the Premier League and Champions League, Arteta will need to find creative solutions to Arsenal’s striking dilemma if they are to maintain their push for silverware this season.