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Mikel Arteta remains confident that his team can persist in handling with player absences after confirming that star striker Kai Havertz is not ready for the coming weeks.

Prolonged Recovery for Havertz

Havertz has been out since August following knee surgery. Originally slated to come back sooner, the manager stated the player encountered a problem when advancing his rehabilitation and could not progress “the required stage.”

“We learned, and we were able to put together a squad that is much more reliable and has increased versatility,” commented Arteta.

Tactical Decisions for Brentford Clash

This news creates a dilemma for Wednesday’s home game against Brentford. A decision is required between sticking with Mikel Merino, who got a goal in an unfamiliar forward role on Sunday, or bringing back Viktor Gyökeres, who featured briefly from a muscle injury as a substitute. Veteran striker Gabriel Jesus is in contention following a lengthy absence.

Defensive Concerns Remain

Additional concerns involve defender William Saliba and winger Leandro Trossard, who were absent for the weekend encounter. Therefore, new recruits Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapié are likely to continue in the heart of the defence for the league leaders.

Arteta feels the substantial investment on new players in the last transfer window has placed the club in a far better place to deal with such unavailability.

Squad Depth Vital for Title Challenge

In response if a larger pool of players was benefiting their title quest, the manager agreed. “Absolutely, as this campaign has presented greater challenges in the attacking line, and now the situation with the backline,” he continued.

“Our previous experiences taught us that we must deploy players in alternative spots, and they have to be able to fulfil different roles if we want to compete at the top. And the case of Mikel Merino.”

Manager’s Sympathy for Suffering Star

Addressing the delay noted by national team coach Julian Nagelsmann, the manager gave more insight. “He followed all protocols. He was unable to progress to the subsequent stage and now it appears like we have overcome that hurdle.”

He shared his personal desire to have him back. “We’re all desperate to have him. Truly, Havertz is someone that, personally, I admire greatly for the qualities he offers to the team, but his mentality, his personality. I see him suffer on the sidelines.”

“His availability record is phenomenal, he's rarely been injured, and I look forward to see him return with the squad and playing because I believe it’s going to be a significant uplift.”