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Mikel Arteta remains confident that his side can persist in handling with injury setbacks after confirming that forward Kai Havertz is not ready for a few more weeks.

Prolonged Recovery for German Star

The German forward has been out since the summer due to knee surgery. Hoped to be available at the start of this month, Arteta explained the player hit a snag when stepping up his recovery and failed to reach “the required stage.”

“We learned, and we were able to put together a squad that is considerably steadier and has more options,” commented Arteta.

Tactical Decisions for Brentford Clash

This update creates a tactical puzzle for the midweek home game against Brentford. A decision is required between continuing to use Mikel Merino, who scored in an unfamiliar forward role last weekend, or reinstating Viktor Gyökeres, who featured briefly after a fitness issue in the latter stages. Long-term absentee Gabriel Jesus is also in contention after 11 months out.

Fitness Doubts Remain

More doubts surround centre-back William Saliba and winger Leandro Trossard, who both missed the Stamford Bridge game. As a result, recent arrivals Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapié will probably keep their places in the backline for the table-toppers.

The manager is convinced the significant outlay on reinforcements during the summer has placed the club in a more robust situation to deal with such setbacks.

Greater Options Vital for Premier League Pursuit

In response if increased squad depth was benefiting their title quest, his response was positive. “Yes, because this season has seen more issues in certain positions, and now what’s happening with the defence,” he continued.

“We learned from the past that we must deploy players in alternative spots, and they need to be prepared to adapt to new tasks if we aim to challenge at the highest level. And the instance of Mikel is just the best one.”

Arteta's Support for Suffering Havertz

Addressing the setback noted by national team coach Julian Nagelsmann, Arteta provided further detail. “He followed all protocols. He was unable to progress to the next level and now it appears like we have solved that issue.”

The manager conveyed his keenness to have him back. “We’re all desperate to have him. Truly, he is a footballer who, for me, I admire greatly for the qualities he offers to the team, but his mentality, his personality. I see him suffer on the sidelines.”

“His fitness history is outstanding, he's usually fit, and I look forward to have him back involved and playing because I feel it’s going to be a massive boost.”