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Mikel Arteta feels assured that his squad can continue to cope with player absences after revealing that star striker Kai Havertz remains out for the coming weeks.

Prolonged Recovery for German Star

The Germany international has been out since August after undergoing knee surgery. Originally slated to be available sooner, Arteta revealed the player encountered a problem when increasing his rehabilitation and failed to reach “the required stage.”

“Our experience helped us build a team that is much more reliable and has more options,” stated the manager.

Tactical Decisions for Brentford Clash

This update creates a selection headache for the midweek match against Brentford. The manager needs to decide between sticking with Mikel Merino, who got a goal as a makeshift striker on Sunday, or bringing back Viktor Gyökeres, who made a return off the bench off the bench. Veteran striker Gabriel Jesus remains in contention post-recovery.

Defensive Concerns Remain

Further fitness issues surround centre-back William Saliba and attacker Leandro Trossard, who were absent for the Chelsea match. Consequently, recent arrivals Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapié will probably keep their places in the backline for the Premier League front-runners.

The manager is convinced the £250m spend on squad depth in the last transfer window has left Arsenal in a far better place to handle such absences.

Greater Options Vital for Title Challenge

Questioned if more options was helping their title quest, Arteta was emphatic. “Yes, because this season has been worse in the attacking line, and now the problems with the defence,” he noted.

“We learned from the past that we need to utilize players in different positions, and they have to be able to adapt to new tasks if we want to compete at this level. And the case of Mikel Merino.”

Manager’s Sympathy for Suffering Star

Commenting on the setback highlighted by national team coach Julian Nagelsmann, Arteta offered more insight. “His recovery was progressing. He was unable to progress to the next level and now it’s looking like we have overcome that hurdle.”

He shared his keenness to see him return. “The team is keen to have him. Honestly, Havertz is someone that, personally, I admire greatly for the qualities he offers to the team, but his personality, his nature. I observe his frustration on the sidelines.”

“His availability record is phenomenal, he's rarely been injured, and I am eagerly awaiting to get him back involved on the pitch because I believe it’s going to be a significant uplift.”