More bad news for Arsenal. Kai Havertz has sustained a muscle injury and will be sidelined, confirmed to miss the North London Derby against Tottenham Hotspur, scheduled for February 22nd. The 26-year-old German international had only returned to action in January after a lengthy injury layoff that kept him out for most of 2025. In his last four games, Havertz had contributed two goals and two assists, showing signs of returning to his best form.
The forward's absence will be felt not only in the derby but also in the preceding fixtures: against Brentford on Thursday, Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup on Sunday, and Wolverhampton next Wednesday. This new physical setback adds to a worrying recent history. In February 2025, Havertz suffered a hamstring tear in his right leg during a training camp in Dubai, requiring surgery. He returned near the end of the 2024/25 season, but another injury, this time to his knee in August, resulted in a further five months out. The current muscle injury, however, does not appear to be as severe.
Havertz's injury exacerbates Mikel Arteta's squad problems, with Mikel Merino, Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, and Max Dowman already unavailable. The German's absence is particularly felt in midfield, where he has been deployed, a sector already depleted by Merino, who underwent surgery for a foot problem and faces a prolonged recovery.
Havertz's return this season came on January 11th, in the FA Cup victory over Portsmouth, where he played over 20 minutes. His first start was in the Champions League against Kairat Almaty, a match in which he scored a goal and provided an assist, despite only playing the first half. Since then, the versatile player scored the winning goal against his former club, Chelsea, in the League Cup semi-final on February 3rd, and has started the last two Premier League games. In the most recent match against Sunderland, he was substituted in the 67th minute after assisting Viktor Gyokeres' opening goal.