Just as Arsenal fans thought their injury curses were finally lifting, the Premier League giants suffered another injury setback on Saturday.
The Gunners managed to grind out a nerve-wracking 1-0 victory over Newcastle United at the Emirates Stadium to reclaim the top spot in the Premier League table.
However, those crucial three points came at a heavy cost. Both Kai Havertz and match-winner Eberechi Eze were forced off with worrying injuries, instantly turning the post-match celebrations into a nervous waiting game for Mikel Arteta and the fanbase.
The drama started early in the first half. After brilliantly assisting Eze’s stunning ninth-minute opener from a short corner, Havertz went down off the ball around the 33rd minute with what appeared to be a problem in his upper leg.
Kai Havertz suffered injury against Newcastle United
Following some on-pitch treatment, the visibly dejected German international was forced to hobble off down the tunnel accompanied by a club physio.
He was quickly replaced by Viktor Gyokeres in the 34th minute, an early indication that the medical staff weren’t taking any risks.
As if losing their versatile forward wasn’t bad enough, things went from bad to worse shortly after the restart.
Eze, who had been electric after scoring the decisive goal, also went down with an issue and had to be swapped out for Gabriel Martinelli less than ten minutes into the second half.
For Havertz in particular, this is a bitter pill to swallow. His 2025/26 campaign has already been heavily plagued by stop-start physical setbacks, including a serious knee injury back in August that sidelined him for a staggering 32 games.
Naturally, the immediate concern shifted to how long the attacking duo might be out, especially with a monumental Champions League semi-final first leg against Atletico Madrid looming on Wednesday, April 29.
Arteta issued encouraging injury update
Following the match, Arteta issues an update on Havertz, as reported by Fabrizio Romano:
“I don’t know how serious it is but should not be too bad. The action, the way he describes it, is not too sharp”.
Eze himself also eased tensions, telling reporters after the game that his substitution was mostly precautionary and insisting, “Yeah, I’m alright. I’m all good”.
The Gunners successfully ended a poor run of domestic form to get three massive points on the board, and with Bukayo Saka finally back in the squad, the attacking depth is slowly returning.
Now, all eyes turn to the medical room at London Colney. If Arteta can somehow patch up Havertz and Eze in time for the trip to Madrid, this nail-biting weekend might just end up being a minor speed bump on the road to a historic season.
Both Havertz and Eze are crucial for Mikel Arteta’s team and offer them versatility as well as depth in the attacking positions.
With Manchester City breathing down their neck, Arteta needs all his players fit to win the Premier League title.
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