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Mikel Arteta remains confident that his squad can continue to cope with injury setbacks after disclosing that star striker Kai Havertz is not ready for several more weeks.

Prolonged Recovery for Havertz

The German forward has been absent for months due to knee surgery. Hoped to come back sooner, Arteta explained the player encountered a problem when increasing his recovery and failed to reach “the required stage.”

“Our experience helped us build a team that is considerably steadier and has increased versatility,” commented Arteta.

Selection Dilemma for Midweek Fixture

This news leaves a dilemma for the midweek home game against Brentford. The manager needs to decide between continuing to use Mikel Merino, who got a goal as a makeshift striker on Sunday, or recalling Viktor Gyökeres, who made a return off the bench as a substitute. Veteran striker Gabriel Jesus is in contention post-recovery.

Defensive Concerns Linger

Additional concerns involve defender William Saliba and winger Leandro Trossard, who both missed the weekend encounter. As a result, recent arrivals Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapié are likely to continue in the backline for the table-toppers.

The manager is convinced the substantial investment on reinforcements in the last transfer window has placed the club in a more robust situation to deal with such setbacks.

Greater Options Key to Premier League Pursuit

In response if more options was benefiting their championship push, the manager agreed. “Absolutely, since the current term has presented greater challenges in some areas, and now the problems with the backline,” he continued.

“We learned from the past that we must deploy players in various roles, and they must be capable to fulfil different roles if we want to compete at this level. And the instance of Mikel is just the best one.”

Manager’s Sympathy for Suffering Star

Addressing the complication previously mentioned by Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann, the manager gave additional context. “His recovery was progressing. He could not go to the required step and now it’s looking like we have solved that issue.”

He shared his eagerness to see him return. “The team is keen to have him. Honestly, Havertz is someone that, for me, I love so much for what he brings to the team, but his mentality, his attitude. I observe his frustration while sidelined.”

“His availability record is phenomenal, he's rarely been injured, and I look forward to have him back involved on the pitch because I think it’s going to be a massive boost.”