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Mikel Arteta remains confident that his squad can continue to cope with injury setbacks following revealing that star striker Kai Havertz remains out for the coming weeks.

Prolonged Recovery for German Star

Havertz has been out for months after undergoing an operation on his knee. Hoped to return sooner, the manager stated the player encountered a problem when advancing his rehabilitation and was unable to move forward “to the next level.”

“Our experience helped us build a group that is far more dependable and has more options,” stated the manager.

Tactical Decisions for Brentford Clash

This development creates a dilemma for the midweek match against Brentford. Arteta must choose between continuing to use Mikel Merino, who got a goal as a makeshift striker on Sunday, or bringing back Viktor Gyökeres, who featured briefly from a muscle injury in the latter stages. Long-term absentee Gabriel Jesus remains in contention after 11 months out.

Fitness Doubts Persist

More doubts involve centre-back William Saliba and attacker Leandro Trossard, who both missed the Chelsea match. Therefore, summer signings Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapié are expected to continue in the heart of the defence for the table-toppers.

Arteta feels the substantial investment on reinforcements during the summer has resulted in a far better place to handle such absences.

Squad Depth Vital for Premier League Pursuit

In response if increased squad depth was aiding their league challenge, the manager agreed. “Yes, because this season has been worse in certain positions, and now the situation with the defence,” he noted.

“We learned from the past that we need to utilize players in various roles, and they must be capable to fulfil different roles if we aim to challenge at the top. And the case of Mikel Merino.”

Manager’s Sympathy for Frustrated Havertz

Addressing the complication highlighted by Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann, the manager gave further detail. “He followed all protocols. He failed to advance to the next level and now it appears like we have unlocked that.”

Arteta expressed his eagerness to see him return. “Everyone is eager to have him. Truly, he is a footballer who, personally, I love so much for his contributions to the team, but his character, his nature. I watch him struggle being outside.”

“His playing record is exceptional, he's rarely been injured, and I am eagerly awaiting to have him back around the team and playing because I think it’s going to be a massive boost.”